Part I: A New Family
by angeli0722
Summary: {Complete} Prequel -- unique take on the Marauder era. When Lily graduates Hogwarts, she goes home to take care of her young sister, Isabelle, who unexpectedly bonds with Sirius. The new graduates stuggle with careers, love & painful choices.
1. Chapter 1: Coming to Terms

**Author's Note:** Don't own Harry Potter, though I wish I did.

This is my strange take on the Marauder era. I started writing this fic about a year or so before OoP came out, so it is definitely from _that _particular era. So, sorry if parts of the fic are utterly cliche now, but they weren't when I started this fic!

It makes sense by itself, but I think that it'd probably be better to go to my author page, start with my first fic, my Year 5 one, then work your way back through the prequels. That's what several of my readers tell me is the easiest way to understand everything off the bat is. But, if you like a little mystery, read on! All will most definitely be revealed...

After this, read Part 2 & so forth. Sorry if Parts 3 & 4 aren't finished when you get to them; I'm working backwards from my Year 5. So eventually, I guess you'll end up there with unanswered questions! Also if you haven't already, check out the Prologue.

I'm a traditional shipper, but I really enjoy putting strange twists on everything. And the ships I _hate_, I make it so the characters are related & therefore hooking up would be incest & morally wrong. I do add in a lot of OC's, because I happen to think they're fun. My main OC, Isabelle, is a type of anti-Mary Sue. If she had her way, she so would be. But where would the fun be in that?

Also, I do admit to using way too much music in my fics. Not songfic, but when a song is so perfect for the scene, who am I to resist?

Please don't forget the lovely Review button at the bottom of your screen...

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**Chapter 1**

Maria O'Toole quietly climbed the large, sweeping staircase and walked into her employer's bedroom. In her hands was a thick, ivory-colored envelope covered in minute, precise handwriting. Ten minutes earlier, a large white owl landed on the kitchen window, tapping to be let in. Although she couldn't read the name, she knew immediately who the letter came from.

"Mrs. Evans? I have a letter from Lily," she said.

Catherine Evans took the letter from Maria, and opened it with tired, weary hands. She skimmed the awkwardly chatty letter, until she got to the very last paragraph.

"Mum," she read, "I can barely stand being here at school while you are sick. I miss you terribly, but I will do as you wish and stay here. And, I'll spend the summer with Gina like you asked, but if you ever need anything at all, let me know immediately. I know you're trying to spare me the trauma of your illness, but the reality of it is that I still worry about you. Give my love to Dad, and tell Isabelle that I'm sending her some candy when we have our next day trip to Hogsmeade, which is next week. I love you, Lily."

She sighed with relief. Much as she loved her daughter, she feared that Lily would miss out on her youth by taking care of a dying mother. She knew her days were numbered, and it was better to encourage her independence now. At least, that's how she justified keeping her two oldest children away as her health deteriorated.

"Mum? What did Lily say?"

Isabelle's voice brought her back to reality. Her eyes focused on her youngest daughter. Although she came late in life, at forty-five, she was her mother's pride and joy. Catherine married young, and planned to start a family immediately. But, as the years went by, and no children came, they were about to give up completely when Petunia was born. To their surprise, Lily came three years later. No one expected Isabelle, who was six years old now.

"That she's having a wonderful time at school, and that she'll send you some candy next week."

Isabelle's green eyes lit up with joy. She lived for packages from her big sister, which were always filled with strange and interesting toys and candy.

"Will you read to me?" she asked, holding up a well-worn book of Shakespeare's sonnets.

"Not now, dear. I need to rest for a minute." Catherine closed her eyes, trying not to let her pain show. For nearly four long years, she had been fighting cancer. It began with breast cancer, which eventually spread to her pancreas. She was growing tired of the fight, and was only worried about who would take care of her family when she was gone. Especially the little one now occupying herself with crayons Lily sent her that magically changed colors. She slipped into a deep sleep, waking up several hours later.

"Isabelle, come here please," she rasped. The small girl crawled on the bed, looking at her mother. "You're a big girl now, so I'm going to tell you the truth, ok?" She nodded. "I'm real sick, and I might die. If I do, always remember that I love you very much and will always look down on you. Be good for your dad and sisters. Take good care of them like just like you've taken care of me. You've been my comfort ever since you were born, and I know you'll bring them as much joy as you brought me. I love you."

"Mum? What's wrong?" Tears filled her eyes, and her tiny, delicate face expressed utter confusion. There was no answer. "Mum?" she said, louder.

Maria came in the room, and realized immediately what had happened. She took Isabelle's hand to take her downstairs. "Come on dear, she's gone now."

"No. She's asleep. Mum, wake up," she sobbed. "Please wake up. It's time for tea. Mum!" There was no response from her mother.

-----

"Hey, Lil? Have you seen my sketchpad?" Regina Potter was looking all over the common room for her favorite sketchpad. She could've sworn that she left it on the coffee table, but it was nowhere to be found. 

Lily looked up from her Astronomy homework, where she was carefully plotting a chart of the August sky. "No, why?"

"I can't find it anywhere," she said distractedly, looking under a sofa in the corner of the room.

"You know, Gina, if your head wasn't attached to your body, you'd lose that, too," came a reply from in front of the fire.

"Clever, brother dear. Seriously, James, this isn't funny. My Charms homework is in that sketchpad, and Flitwick will kill me if I can't find it." She heard a snicker, and turned her head slightly just in time to see a brief glimpse of it. "Accio sketchpad," she said, smacking Sirius in the head with it repeatedly.

"Ouch! I didn't steal it, honestly," he pleaded.

"Liar."

During the chaos, a large white owl flew through the window of the common room, dropping a letter in Lily's lap. Curious, she opened it, and read its contents. She dropped the letter to the floor as if it burned her hands, and let out a high-pitched scream. The room went completely silent and looked at Lily's ghost-white face. James rushed over to her side.

"Lily? Lily! What's wrong?" he asked her.

She looked at him with empty, glassy eyes. "My mother's dead," she whispered. "She's gone, and I didn't get to say goodbye."

Her petite frame trembled. James wrapped her in a hug, and exchanged a look with Gina, Sirius and Remus. No one quite knew what to say, so they sat awkwardly in silence for a few minutes.

"When is the funeral?" Gina asked quietly. Lily looked up at her best friend through teary eyes.

"At the end of the week," she managed to choke out.

"Come on. Let's go upstairs and pack, then." Gina took Lily's hand, and let her up the stairs to the girls' dormitory.

"Well, I guess we ought to get packing, too. No way we'd let you brave the Muggles alone."

"Thanks, man." James clapped Sirius and Remus on the back as they headed upstairs. "Lil needs all the support she can get, especially if that sister of hers is going to be there."

"Sister? Isn't she six?" Remus asked.

"Not that one. Petunia. She's nineteen. When she and Lily get together, it's like putting a lighted match beside a keg of dynamite. An explosion waiting to happen. Not what she needs right now."

A half hour later, everyone was packed and ready to catch the Hogwarts Express to London. As they left, Professor McGonagall reminded them that they could only leave for five days, and could be gone that long because they were the top students in their class.

Gina rolled her eyes at that, and couldn't help hexing McGonagall's shoes to the ground. Honestly, talking about marks at a time like this, she thought. Not that studying or grades mattered to her much, anyway. She spent as little time in the library as humanly possible, and maintained that only boring people went there. Like her brother.

She had no idea what Lily saw in him. Well, he was good looking. After all, he was her twin. And sweet, funny...and incredibly...well, boring. He was probably going to marry Lily and settle down in a predictable job and have five kids, all perfect like him, of course.

She yawned, as Sirius helped her get on the train. He would be more interesting to hang out with than James, if it wasn't for the fact that she had known him since the crib. They knew everything about each other, which came in handy when she needed to copy his Transfiguration homework. Her eyes swept the train compartment. Now Remus was intriguing, she decided, as the train left the station. He always kept a measured distance, which made him all the more attractive. Probably why so many girls fancy him, she mused, taking out her sketchpad and pencil to finish a drawing.

James studied Gina from across the compartment as Lily slept in his lap. She had always been a little on the quiet side, but lately she was withdrawn and depressed looking. Their eyes met, and she looked outside at the sunset. Something was bothering her, but he couldn't quite figure out what. "What's wrong, sis?" he asked her.

"Oh, just upset for Lily," came the reply.

James looked at Sirius. They both knew she was lying, but neither one of them pressed the issue. Sirius looked over at her and sighed. She's so beautiful, and talented, and so out of your league, he told himself. Besides, she probably thinks of me like a brother. Like she's a triplet, not a twin. Speaking of her twin, he'd murder me in cold blood if he knew what I was thinking. He remembered how James tore apart a guy in first year for making an off-color comment about Regina, and walked around angry for weeks after that. She laughed, pointing at a hot-air balloon floating in the distance.

"Remember that time when we were nine and stowed away in that hot-air balloon?" she asked.

"Yeah, we were grounded for a year," James frowned.

"Speak for yourself. I wasn't allowed to leave the house grounds from then until I went away to Hogwarts. Good thing the governess didn't know about the underground passage between our houses," Sirius laughed.

"Those were fun days. We were like the Three Musketeers. You know," she said, "it was like having another brother around. Like you're the triplet who lived next door."

Why doesn't she just rip my still-beating heart out of my chest and stomp on it? Sirius agonized. I'm just the boy next door, a childhood friend. Just get a grip on yourself, and get over her. Easier said than done, he decided, closing his eyes to try to get some sleep.

Remus looked around the compartment at his friends. It amazed him that all of them knew that he was a werewolf, and accepted him anyway. Sometimes, he did feel like he was on the fringe of the group, the fifth wheel. But, he never complained. Life had been very lonely before Hogwarts.

The Hogwarts Express pulled into King's Cross station two hours later, and Lily bought five tickets to Dover on British Rail. Her mind whirled as the train left the platform. Mum's gone, she thought. She's really gone. The funny, clever woman who loved peppermint taffy and Godiva chocolate wouldn't be waiting for her at the platform. She wouldn't be there to see her graduate from Hogwarts, walk down the aisle, or give her advice about life, jobs, and which shoe to wear with what outfit. Tears streamed down her face as she grabbed some of Gina's tissues. She had to pull herself together before she got home. Her little sister needed her.

Sheets of rain pounded the outside of the train as it pulled into the Dover station. The weary friends rushed for cover, trying not to get drenched. Lily looked around, and saw Petunia standing sourly in a corner.

"I see you've brought some of those people with you," she hissed underneath her breath.

"Those people are my friends. And I expect you to treat them with some sort of respect," Lily replied, glaring at her older sister. "Where's Isabelle?"

"At home sleeping. The poor child's gone through enough already without having to deal with her freak of a sister."

"Yes, I'm sure she was thrilled to have a break from you."

Petunia opened and closed her mouth like a fish, much to the delight of everyone else. James couldn't help but smile. Unfortunately, Petunia's hawk-like eyes saw his small smirk. She determined to make his life as miserable as humanly possible.

The ride to the house was tense. Everyone was glad to reach the sprawling Evans home, situated right on the white cliffs. Luckily, someone had lit a fire in the fireplace, helping to dry everyone out.

"Where's Father?" Lily asked her.

"Asleep. It is one o'clock in the morning." Petunia stomped upstairs.

"Sorry about my sister," Lily said wearily. "She isn't fond of magic. I'm the only magical one in the family."

"What about your other sister?"

"According to Petunia, she's as Muggle as can be. Let me go say good night to her." She went upstairs.

"Man, Petunia's a beast," Remus said.

"Told you," James replied.

Lily came back down the stairs. "The door's locked, and I didn't want to frighten her by charming it open. I'm sure she's heard all sorts of horrible stories about magic. Are you tired? I can show you to your rooms."

Something had caught Sirius' eye in the corner. He watched the corner through his peripheral vision while Lily was talking. Between a tall chair and a bookcase, a small shadow moved slightly.

"Sirius?" He jumped, and looked at Regina.

"What?"

"Exploding Snap. In, or out."

He figured that the group had decided against sleep in an effort to cheer up Lily. He grinned. "Did you even have to ask?"

The group settled on the floor in front of the fireplace. Remus produced a deck of cards, and began shuffling them like a casino dealer. "What's the ante, ladies and gentlemen?"

"I'm feeling lucky tonight. Make it 2 knuts," Gina offered.

Everyone tossed coins into the middle of the circle, and the game began. For five minutes, the game proceeded uneventfully, until James' glasses were blown off his face. Remus laughed so hard that tears were in his eyes. A very small gasp came from the corner shadow that only Sirius heard. He looked for a minute, and saw a pair of green eyes peer around the chair.

Did the eyes belong to the supposedly sleeping Isabelle? he wondered to himself.

After a half hour, Gina had cleared out everyone's wallets. Not wanting to press her good luck, she suggested they should go to bed. They crept upstairs, where Lily showed the guys to the spare bedroom, and went into her bedroom with Gina.

"Hey, I'm going to get a glass of water. Be right back," Sirius said, walking out of the guest room.

Curiosity had gotten the best of him, so he quietly walked down the stairs and tiptoed to the corner. There, asleep, was a small, blonde-haired girl clutching a yellow blanket. He knew that Petunia would skin her alive if she caught her out of bed in the morning, so he picked her up and carried her up the stairs. Luckily, Lily had pointed out which room was Isabelle's, so he reached for his wand, trying not to wake her up, and unlocked the door. She must take after Lily, not Petunia, he thought. Only a smart child would think to lock her bedroom door when she snuck out of her room, and know how to pick the lock when she wanted to get back inside. He laid her on her bed, covered her up with the yellow blanket, and closed the door behind him.

"I thought you were getting water," Remus pointed out.

"I drank it downstairs," Sirius lied, turning out the light for bed.

-----

The next couple of days passed by in a blur for Lily. Between family stopping by the house, funeral preparations, and dealing with Petunia, she hardly had a chance to dwell on what was happening until she found herself sitting on a hard church pew. Her mother's coffin was in front of the church, covered by a beautiful funeral pall of white and pink roses. The priest walked down the aisle, signaling the start of the service. James squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. 

Three rows back, Sirius tugged on his shirt collar. His tie was choking him. Why Muggles wore such ridiculous clothing, he couldn't figure out. He looked sideways at Remus, who was doing the exact same thing. Gina gave them both an evil look, and they sat up, trying to be on their best behavior. She insisted on sitting between them, even. They were both wonderful, but she didn't trust them to act mature for even an hour. The fact that they looked like caged animals in their suits didn't help their case any, either.

Lily sat in stony silence as the congregation sang her mother's favorite hymn. She barely blinked throughout the entire funeral, or made a noise as the family left the church and proceeded to the grave site, unlike Petunia, who was jabbering away. The family gathered around the grave, and the priest conducted a simple service. After the service was over, each family member walked up to the coffin to say a final goodbye.

That is, except for Isabelle, who hid behind Maria like she had done for the majority of the week. When the crowd had left, Isabelle took a single white rose that she picked from the garden that morning out of the pocket of her deep green coat, and crept to the coffin.

"Goodbye, Mum. I hope that you're happy in heaven," she whispered.

"Come on, already, and stop your babbling. Everyone's waiting on you." Isabelle looked blankly at Petunia. She didn't understand what her sister was trying to tell her. Petunia grabbed her roughly by the coat collar, and dragged her to the car. Indignant tears stung Isabelle's eyes as she shrank into a corner of the back seat. Never, in all of her life, had she been treated this way.

"Hello, there. Would you like a piece of taffy?" James saw what Petunia had done, and felt sorry for the little girl. He couldn't imagine how confusing the situation must be for a six year old.

Isabelle looked at him through wounded eyes. Another person she couldn't understand, but at least this one looked friendly. She stretched out a timid hand towards the candy.

"Go on. It's ok," he encouraged her. She plucked a chocolate flavored taffy from his hand, and smiled gratefully. She began to unwrap the candy, when Petunia turned around, and snatched it out of her hand.

"You'll ruin your appetite for dinner," she snapped.

"It's just one piece of candy. What's the harm in it?" Lily fired back.

"I'm the adult here, and I'm in charge. And I say that she doesn't need any sugar spoiling her dinner," Petunia said through clenched teeth.

The car pulled up the drive, and everyone piled out quickly. Lily stormed into the house, trying to quell her temper. Just make it through one more day, she told herself.

-----

Although it was still chilly, a beautiful spring sun beckoned Gina outside. Armed with a blanket, flask of pumpkin juice, and bookbag, she found a secluded spot behind a large row of hedges. With any luck, she would be able to spend an afternoon alone, a treat that didn't happen often. Between her classes and trying to cheer Lily up, she was mentally and emotionally drained. It had been six weeks since the funeral, and Lily seemed to be coping better with things, so Gina didn't feel as guilty for sneaking off. She rummaged through her bookbag, and pulled out a textbook. 

"Although much has been written about the Goblin rebellions, many details are still unknown," she read, wrinkling her nose. The only reason she could stay awake during History of Magic on a good day is because James kept poking her in the back when she would doze off. What a prat, she thought, tossing the book on the blanket. She pulled out another textbook.

"Dragon blood, although rare, is an invaluable ingredient in many common potions." Ugh. She discarded her Potions textbook, and searched the bag until she found her paperback anthology of William Shakespeare's works. Often, she would place her anthology, or another appealing book, inside her opened textbook during class. That way, the professor would think that she was reading the assigned material, when she was actually lost in Lady Macbeth's Scotland or Cleopatra's Alexandria. She dreamed of the day when she could leave England's wizarding world behind to travel the world, to really live. But, until then, she was still at Hogwarts, so she immersed herself in her favorite sonnets. Pain shot through her body as someone ran into her full speed, knocking her book out of her hand, and spreading her things everywhere.

"Oh, sorry," came a deep voice.

Gina sat up, and looked at the voice's owner. Severus Snape. All she really knew about him was that he was a Slytherin, and Sirius hated him. The feeling was mutual, and everyone knew that Regina Potter and Sirius Black were like siblings. Closer than siblings, even. They eyed each other warily.

"That's quite alright," she replied, gathering her notes together. Which didn't take very long, considering her meager attention span. Snape didn't say anything, but quietly collected her books and stacked them on the blanket. Of all the times not to pay attention to where he was walking, of all the people he had to trip over, he just had to run over a Potter.

"What's this?" he said, somewhat sardonically.

"It's my Shakespeare book. Please give it back," she pleaded, blushing.

"No, let me see what's so amazing about this Muggle Shakespeare." He flipped a page, pausing at a sonnet, and wrinkled his nose. "Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments. What is this junk?"

"You can read," she said, amazed.

"Yes, I can assure you that I am literate," he snapped. Typical Potter, he thought.

"No. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. Of course you are literate. What I meant to say is that you have a lovely speaking voice. Would you read some more?"

Severus began to make a sarcastic retort, but hesitated, looking in her deep blue eyes. She looked so sincere. In fact, this was the first time that he really took the time to study her. In spite of himself, he was drawn to her intense, mysterious beauty. Why had he never noticed her before? He cleared his throat somewhat awkwardly.

"Fine. Do you want me to start from the beginning, or where I left off?" he asked a little more harshly than necessary. After all, beautiful or not, she was still a Potter, and couldn't be trusted. Especially since she was so thick with Black.

"From the beginning, please."

He couldn't believe he was doing this, but he took a deep breath, and began to read. "Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments. Love is not love which alters when its alteration finds, or bends with the remover to remove: O, no! It is an ever-fixed mark, that looks on tempests and is never shaken, it is the star to every wandering bark, whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken." He paused, looking up. Gina's eyes were transfixed on his face, unblinking. He flushed a bit, and continued. "Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks within his bending sickle's compass come; Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, but bears it out even to the edge of doom."

"If this be error, and upon me proved, I never writ, nor no man ever loved," she finished. "Thank you. Maybe we could do this again sometime?"

He wondered if he heard her clearly. Was Regina Potter, sister of Hogwarts' Quiddich legend James Potter, daughter of the Minister of Magic, asking him out? Was this some sick, twisted joke of Black's that he talked her into playing on him? He looked at her carefully, and was surprised to see that she looked just as cautious and hesitant as he did. Maybe she was serious. His heart leapt into his throat.

"Sure," he said quietly, partially expecting to instantly become the target of a practical joke. Nothing happened. "Well, I had better get going."

"Yeah, you were in a real hurry," she laughed. "See you later, Severus."

He managed a feeble wave as he headed to the main castle, trying to get her out of his head. The way she said his name, her eyes, her smile...it was too late, he admitted to himself. He had fallen for Gina, even though his mind told him that she was completely out of his league. She was a wealthy heiress, cultured, refined, everything he wasn't. Not to that mention her family would never, ever approve of him.

As he stormed up the stairs, he nearly knocked over Sirius Black, who was almost running down the stairs. Sirius was so focused on finding Gina that he didn't even bother to give Snape a dirty look when they passed. After frantically searching the grounds for ten minutes, he found her sunning herself, reading a book. Despite his frame of mind, he noticed that her nose was turning a bright shade of pink. As was the rest of her face.

"Uh, Regina? Maybe you should put on some of that sunblock stuff. I read somewhere that prolonged exposure to the sun increases your chances of getting skin cancer."

"And prolonged exposure to you increases my chances of becoming an incredibly dull person," she shot back, her mind still on Severus. Now, he was interesting, worth getting to know a little better.

She looked up at Sirius, whose face was a horrible ashen color. "Sirius, what's wrong?" she asked, concerned.

He took a deep breath. "It's about Lily's father."

"What about him?" Her eyebrows knitted.

"He's dead."

"What? How? When?" Regina was frantic. She jumped up, stuffing her things into her bag.

"Earlier today, he committed suicide. That's all I know."

"Where's Lily?" she screamed.

"Shhh." Sirius placed his hands her shoulders and looked directly into her eyes. "She's in McGonagall's office. James and Remus are already with her."

"Alright. Let's go."

They hurried through the grounds, and into the castle. Sirius marveled at how quickly she brought her emotions under control, at her grace under fire. She opened the door, and instantly ran to Lily, wrapping her in a huge hug. No one knew what to say, so they just sat there in quiet support.

-----

The car sped down the beautiful lane, revealing a spectacular view of the white cliffs. Soon, Lily could make out the outline of her house in the distance. Her childhood home, where she learned to ride a bicycle in the backyard, picked flowers in the meadow, and read books by the sea. Everything looked the same as it did back then, but it was an illusion. Nothing would ever be the same again. The furnishings would be given away, and what no one wanted would be sold at auction. Beloved heirlooms would be distributed among the three daughters, taking away the personal touches of what made the Evans house a home, leaving an empty, hollow shell.

She sighed wearily as the car stopped at the front door. In less than two hours, her father would be buried. How had the caring, lively man she remembered become so depressed that he wanted to stop living? Lily shook her head, and opened the door.

"Where is everybody?"

"I have no idea," she replied, puzzled, looking at James. He placed their suitcases on the floor, and wrapped his arms around her. She rested her head on his chest, thankful that Dumbledore had allowed him to come with her. A loud screech from upstairs startled them both.

"What was that? It sounded like a wounded hippogriff."

"I think it came from upstairs," Lily replied.

They cautiously crept upstairs, and started looking around for the origin of the sound. Another screech filled the entire floor with sound. It came from Isabelle's room. Lily opened the door, and her eyes widened at the sight before her. Clothes were scattered everywhere, and in the middle of the room stood Petunia with a furious look on her face, brush in hand.

"You better come out from under that bed, you little brat," she screamed.

"What is going on here?" Lily asked.

"I am trying to get Isabelle ready for the funeral, but she isn't cooperating. She doesn't listen to anything I say."

"Why don't you just get Maria to do it?"

"Because, I asked Father to get rid of Maria three weeks ago. The child wouldn't mind anyone but her, including Father. She is completely out of control," Petunia huffed.

The tiny girl scampered out from underneath the bed, and wrapped herself around Lily's legs. She looked at her big sister through large, teary eyes.

"Finally, you come out. What do you have to say for yourself?" Isabelle said nothing. "Silent, just like I expected. Do you know that she hasn't said a word in the past six weeks? Not one word. Do you even talk? Huh? Is anything between your two ears?" Petunia taunted, waving her hand in front of Isabelle's face. She promptly bit Petunia's hand. "Ouch!" she screamed.

"That's what you get," James laughed.

Petunia gave him a look of pure hatred. "Fine. You deal with her," she said, handing Lily the brush, and stomped out of the room.

"Hi, there. Can I fix your hair?" Isabelle didn't respond, but she didn't run, either. Lily took this as a positive sign, and began to brush the tangles out of her hair. Five minutes later, her hair was perfectly plaited. She took Isabelle's hand, and led her downstairs to leave for the church.

"Finally ready. We're going to be late. Come on, let's go," Petunia grumbled.

-----

"Come on James. We're going to miss the Hogwarts Express," Lily said in a deadened voice. He kept pausing in the King's Cross station, looking at every sign. 

"We're not going back to school yet," he said absentmindedly, running his fingers through his hair.

"Then where are we going?" She was not in the mood to play games.

He flashed her his most charming smile. "Muggle London."

"Why?"

"Because you need a break from your family, school, homework, everything. So, I made arrangements for us to take a little, uh, vacation for the next week."

"You're not serious, are you?"

"Yes, completely serious. I swear!" he added at the skeptical look on her face. "We have reservations at the St. Giles hotel as Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Adams."

"Ok, before we even discuss this idea, who picked the name of an imported beer as an alias?"

"Sirius."

"He's in on this, too?" Her face was a vivid scarlet.

"Well, he's covering for us at school. If any professors start asking questions, he's going to tell them that we're still taking care of business."

"No. I don't want him to get into trouble for lying. He gets enough detention already."

"It's not a lie. Lily, you're a mess, and I don't blame you. For the past six weeks, you've shouldered an awful lot of responsibility. You've taken time to help everyone but yourself. I'm not doing this because I want to snog you all week." His face now matched Lily's. "Well, maybe a little."

"Just a little?"

"Look, I can prove my good intentions. The hotel room has two beds in it. Two twin beds, at that. Come on, Lil. You just need some time off."

She looked up at his sincere face. He had obviously put a lot of thought into making her happy. Oh, what could it hurt? she decided.

"Alright, Mr. Adams, where exactly is this hotel?"

"Well, the paper says it's off the London Underground."

"The Tube. Muggles call it the Tube. What station?"

"Tottenham Court Road."

"Oh, that's near Leicester Square. Come on," she said, guiding him through the busy station. She paused at a machine, and put several Muggle coins in it. A minute later, two tickets popped out. They stood at the platform, waiting for a train.

"Mind the gap, please," came an automated voice, as they entered the train. James doubled over, laughing. Even Lily cracked a small smile at the look on his face.

"How do you know where to go, anyway?" he asked her.

She pointed to a map. "The stations are color-coded according to a certain route, called a line. See, several train lines meet at King's Cross, so you can change lines. We want the black line heading south. Our station is right in the middle of the city. Did you plan it that way?"

He nodded, as they exited the Tube, hoping that spending time in the city would cheer her up.

-----

"Mind the gap, please," James joked, as Lily jumped off the Hogwarts Express in Hogsmeade. She laughed. 

"So, how was living like a Muggle for a week?" she asked him, with an evil grin.

"Frightening experience. I actually found myself watching TV in the middle of the night. Do you know what's on TV that late at night?"

"Do I want to know?"

"Probably not."

He playfully slung his arm across her shoulder as they walked towards the castle grounds. The week off had done Lily a world of good, he decided. She wasn't quite as pale, or depressed. It had hit her hard when her mother died because she hadn't accepted just how sick her mother was. It was easy to pretend that everything was alright when she couldn't see what was really going on. And then, her father killing himself like that, leaving only Isabelle in the house at the time. No one knew what she had seen or heard that day, because she wouldn't talk about it.

Not that James blamed the poor child. He couldn't help comparing the little girl's closed off demeanor to Lily's cheerful, outgoing nature. He remembered the first time he had met her – at the Sorting Ceremony, where she failed to be impressed by him. And then proceeded to show him up in every class, much to the amusement of Sirius, Gina and Remus. The summer before sixth year, when she was visiting his house for the summer, he finally got up the nerve to ask her out. He couldn't believe that was almost a year ago. So much has changed since then; it seemed like they lived in a completely different world. They walked in comfortable silence through the castle grounds, and up the stairs to the entryway.

"I wonder where everyone is?" Lily asked, confused. The halls were almost deserted.

"It's almost exam time. I guess everyone's studying."

"Not everyone starts studying for exams three months in advance, James. It's only March."

"Cute," he said in mock indignation. Suddenly, he smacked his forehead with his hand. "Ravenclaw has a Quiddich match with Slytherin today. Can't believe I forgot."

"Me either. Chocolate toffee," she told the Fat Lady. The portrait swung open, and they entered the common room where Sirius was sitting, reading the latest copy of Quiddich Weekly.

"How's it going, Mr. Adams," he smirked from behind the paper.

"Just great," James responded, snat.ching the paper and scanning the front page article. "As if the Nimbus series could ever replace the Clean Sweeps. Honestly."

"Hey, that stack of mail's for you, Lil." Sirius pointed at a tall stack of assorted papers.

She rifled through the pile, pausing at a thick envelope from Petunia. Never, in her six years at Hogwarts, had Petunia ever used owl post. Intrigued, she ripped open the letter and read the contents.

"Oh, my God," she whispered.

"What?" James and Sirius asked together.

"It's Isabelle. The doctors say that she's autistic."

"Ok. Big deal. Regina's artistic, and she didn't need a doctor to tell her that," Sirius said.

"Not artistic. Autistic. Petunia says here that it's a medical condition where a child withdraws into her own little world. Apparently Isabelle's a classic case. She doesn't talk, write, hates any human contact, and acts out with violent temper tantrums."

"I don't get it. Your mum always wrote about how smart she was," James puzzled.

"That's part of it too, apparently. The child develops unusually quickly, and then just shuts down for some reason. The doctors say that her symptoms could have been showing for years, but just overlooked because of everything else that was going on."

"So, what's the prognosis?"

Lily looked at James through weary eyes. "She'll never function normally, partially because of the autism, but also because she's moderately retarded. Petunia says here that the psychologists could barely chart her intelligence level because her behavior and attention span were so poor. There's a summer camp that might teach her how to some things, like dress herself, brush her teeth, make small sentences, that sort of thing. After that, who knows?"

Sirius sat listening to the conversation, narrowing his eyes. Something about the situation didn't seem quite right to him. True, she behaved exactly as the letter said. But, could a retarded girl sneak around the house like she did? He truly doubted it, and would bet his entire trust fund that something else was causing Isabelle's behavior, other than autism.


	2. Chapter 2: The Hero

Chapter 2__

_One year later..._

Holding a heavy yellow envelope in his hands, Sirius walked into the empty Gryffindor common room, and sat in an armchair by the fire, brooding. He looked down at the envelope's return address: "Fleur de Paris, New York City, America". Anyone in the wizarding world would recognize the name immediately, because it was the most famous robe company in the world. What did they want with Regina? He tried to calm himself down. Perhaps this was an invoice for her graduation robes, or some party her parents were throwing. It couldn't be what he was thinking. Five minutes later, she walked in. 

"This came for you," he said, tossing the envelope at her. She opened it immediately, and started screaming and jumping up and down. 

"Oh, my gosh! I can't believe it! I'm so happy I could kiss you." She planted a huge kiss on a completely stunned Sirius. 

"Wh-what is it?" he stammered. 

"I'm finally leaving this place. New York," she said, hugging herself. "Oh, just the sound of it is heaven." 

His heart sank through the floor. "Why would you go to New York?" 

"Fleur de Paris accepted my application for an apprenticeship. I knew it was a longshot, but I applied anyway. Me, a clothing designer." 

"Congratulations." 

"Aren't you happy for me?" She looked at him through wounded eyes. 

He managed a smile. "Of course I am. It's just going to be different without your sorry tail around here, that's all." 

"Come with me, then." 

"What?" 

"We can escape together. No more boring parties, or people being nice to us just because we're rich. Hey, you'll be an ocean away from your father and his incessant nagging for you to work for Gringotts." 

She knew the right buttons to push, not that he needed convincing anyway. "Ok, I'll need to transfer to the Office of Magical Affairs in America, though." 

"Yes, you fancy yourself a hero, chasing after the bad guys, don't you?" she teased. 

"Nah, just took the first job offer I got, that's all," he said, winking at her. "Even being an Auror's better than working at the bank. Since I can't be a professional Quiddich player like some people, I had to find something respectable to do with my time." 

"Speaking of our Quiddich superstar, here he comes." 

"What are you laughing at?" James asked them. 

"Nothing. Guess what? I'm going to New York!" Regina screeched. 

Her twin frowned. "Congratulations." 

"You're a stick in the mud, James Potter," she said, eyes narrowing. 

"I just don't think that it's right to run away from your problems, that's all." 

"Who's running away?" 

"You. Instead of coming to terms with our duty-bound existence, you'd rather run halfway around the world." 

"Forget duty," she spat. "I'm tired of eating duty for breakfast and responsibility for tea. And I'm not running. I'm reinventing myself." With that, she turned, and stomped up the stairs. 

~~~~~

  
James quickly looked in both directions before boarding the Hogwarts Express. Although graduation was in less than a month, and he could already disapperate, he didn't want to risk losing his spot on England's Quiddich National Team, especially since this was a World Cup year. With any luck, he would get some playing time. If he was caught practicing magic before he was authorized to, he would be booted off the team faster than he could say "chaser". 

And going to see Petunia certainly wasn't worth it. The only reason he was going to Dover was for Lily. For some reason, she had a soft spot for her retarded sister Isabelle, and wanted custody of the child. But, Petunia wouldn't even consider handing her youngest sister over to one of "those people". 

Until Regina dropped the bombshell that she was permanently moving to America, he didn't realize how much his own sister meant to him. From the minute he was born, she was always there; he couldn't imagine a life without her being around. He had taken it for granted that things would stay the same after graduation, that they would move around a bit, but still always be together. The reality that life just didn't work that way stung him. 

It was a double blow when Sirius decided to go to New York with her. Although he wished that his best friend wasn't going to another continent, he could understand Sirius' actions. He practically raised himself; if it wasn't for Regina and himself, he would've spent his childhood completely alone. His tyrant of a father was never around, and when he was, he never had anything positive to say about his son. If their places were switched, James would move as far as possible away from him, too. 

He looked at the changing scenery through the train window and planned his strategy with Petunia. It would never do to appeal to her emotions, because as far as he could see, she didn't care one bit for Isabelle. The girl was a liability to her, an embarrassment, a blight on her new marriage. In fact, she planned to have Isabelle committed to an asylum for autistic children. 

The train stopped in London, and James quickly made the connecting train to Dover, checking his watch. No one, especially Lily, knew of his plans, and he intended to keep it that way. So, the quicker he could cross the country and back, the better. Fortunately, the train pulled into the station fifteen minutes early. He jumped out, and rented a car, thankful that he learned to drive a car last summer while on holiday at Nice. Soon, the now familiar house pulled into view. He parked the rental car, and knocked on the door. 

A pair of green eyes peered around the window beside the door. They were Lily's eyes, but yet so distant, emotionless. The eyes disappeared, and the door cracked. 

"Come in," a little voice said slowly, laboring over the words. 

"Thank you very much," he replied. It was the first time that he had ever heard Isabelle speak. "Can I speak to your sister Petunia, please?" 

She tilted her head to one side, blinking furiously. Biting her lip, she turned around, and disappeared into the kitchen. After a minute, she reappeared, dragging Petunia into the living room. 

"What do you want?" Petunia said suspiciously. 

"First, to congratulate you on your marriage. I'm sure it was a lovely ceremony," he said smoothly, emphasizing the fact that Lily was not invited, supposedly because she needed to study for exams. 

"It was, thank you." Her eyes narrowed. What was his agenda? 

He didn't keep her waiting long. "Yes, I heard about your plans concerning this little one. Of course, sending her away to an asylum right after you get married is a mere coincidence, isn't it?" 

"Of course. Her condition is quite severe." 

"I'm sure. Look, I'm not here to play games with you. Lily wants custody of Isabelle, and I'm here to negotiate a reasonable agreement to make that happen." 

"I will never let Lily expose her to your kind." 

"I see. Have you heard of Stephen Potter?" If she wanted to play hardball, so be it, James thought. 

"The financier?" 

"Yes. He is my father. Oh, surprised that 'our kind' can be wealthy and successful? And able to mingle with 'your kind'?" He crossed his arms. "I plan to marry Lily, and would do anything for her. She wants Isabelle, and if that's what she wants, I would move heaven and earth to make sure that she got her. So, you have two options. One, you can get in a custody fight with Lily. Then, I will hire the best Muggle attorney possible, a hundred of them, if necessary. And my pockets are deep, I can assure you." 

"Or?" 

"Or, you could willingly give custody to Lily, and we can come to an understanding concerning the terms. This is a no-lose situation for you, Petunia. We both know that you don't want the child. You get rid of her and gain some compensation for your past year and a half of trouble." 

She appeared to be considering his offer. "What are your terms?" 

"A million pounds for the custody issue, and your silence." 

"How do I know that you're being honest?" 

He took a huge stack of bills out of his pocket. "Five hundred thousand pounds down, the rest when Lily gets the custody order. And, I want it delivered by the end of school via owl post." 

"Your terms are acceptable," she said formally, grabbing the money out of James' hand. 

"Good doing business with you. Have a good night," he said, walking out of the house. He felt absolutely nauseated thinking about how easily Petunia sold her sister away. 

Three days later, an official-looking envelope dropped into Lily's lap at breakfast. She opened it, and gave an exclaimed yelp of surprise. 

"What is it, Lil?" Gina asked. 

"It's Petunia. She actually gave me custody of Isabelle. I can't believe it!" she exclaimed. 

The next day, half a million pounds sterling was transferred from James Potter's trust fund into the Dursley's bank account. The look on Lily's face made it all worth it to him. 

~~~~~

  
"We're finally free!" Gina screamed, riding through Hogsmeade on Remus' shoulders. He laughed, and put her down on the train platform. She struck a pose, imitating Scarlett O'Hara. "And, as God as my witness, I will never study again." 

"No more Muggle movies for you," he said. 

She swung her suitcase around her in a circle. "Oh, Remus. We'll never have to go to that drafty old castle in the middle of nowhere again." 

"I'll kind of miss it," he said nostalgically. 

"Not me. Where is my brother?" She looked up and down the platform for James. 

"Maybe he's running late. Head boy stuff." 

She rolled her eyes. "Absolutely disgraceful, my own brother and best friend making head boy and girl. They'll probably have some wizarding prodigy that will continue the tradition of shame." 

"Maybe you will," he said, trying to get her riled up. It worked. 

"For starters, Remus, I don't plan on getting attached to a man long enough to even consider having a child with him. You know that. It's all about my art. And, if by some miracle I bring some spawn into this world, the child would not dishonor its poor mother that way." She was interrupted by a spitball hitting her in the cheek. 

"Are you coming, or what?" came a voice from an open window of the train. 

"Sirius Black, I am going to kill you." 

She ran up the stairs, dropping her suitcase, tossing hexes at him as she went. Remus picked up her suitcase, and followed her onto the train. Guessing that the compartment with the funny red colors coming out of it was theirs, he walked down the car until he reached his friends. Sirius' hair had a stripe in the middle of it like a skunk, his eyebrows were pink, and his clothing was replaced with a clown suit. James was rolling on the floor laughing, and Lily was sitting in the corner reading a book, oblivious to the pandemonium going on around her. 

"Love the look," Remus said to a very sour-looking Sirius, who was threatening Gina with his wand. 

"Fix me now, or I swear--" 

"You swear what?" she said in mock fear. He made her front teeth grow about an inch, knowing that would really irritate her. She hated her teeth. 

"You prat!" she screamed, tackling him on the floor. The train began to move right when they hit the ground, so they rolled out into the hallway right in the pathway of Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape. 

"Excuse me, please," he said snidely. "Some people obviously haven't got enough class to behave properly. But, it's not like you had a mother to teach you any better, huh, Black?" 

Sirius lunged at Malfoy, but Gina held him back as they passed. "He's not worth it. Anyway, we won't have to worry about him anymore in about a month." 

That seemed to calm him somewhat, but he punched the doorway as he walked back into the compartment, rattling the entire car. He stormed into a corner, and stared out of the window. Everyone had the good sense to leave him alone when he was angry. Even Gina, who had always comforted him, ever since they were children, let him sit and brood. She flopped down next to Lily. 

"Girl, we just graduated and your nose is already in a book?" she teased. 

Lily held up the title. _How to Raise an Autistic Child._ "Just trying to figure my sister out, that's all." 

"That's an awful lot of responsibility, Lil. You know you can always pop over to my side of the ocean if you need a break." 

"Planning on it. Can't let you have all the fun." 

"What are you doing with the Ministry, exactly?" 

"I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you," Lily joked. "There are rumors that a Dark wizard is gaining power in England. I'm supposed to monitor communications between people suspected to be in league with him in a closet in the basement of the Institute to Preserve Muggle Artifacts." 

Gina wrinkled her nose. "Fascinating." 

She pulled out a copy of Wuthering Heights, and didn't realize that they had reached London until Remus pinched her book shut. They made their way to Dover, and to the Evans' home. Lily looked around when she reached the front door and realized that Petunia wasn't there. She had left Isabelle alone all day, probably. The little girl was probably scared and confused. Practically hysterical, she threw open the front door. 

"Isabelle! Isabelle, where are you? Isabelle!" she screamed. 

"Petunia left her, didn't she?" James said angrily. Perhaps he should have included staying with the child until Lily arrived part of their settlement agreement. He assumed that was common sense, but apparently Petunia was sorely lacking in that department. 

"I'll kill her! I'll kill her!" Lily shouted in a rage. 

"Calm down. We'll split up, and look for her," Remus said helpfully. 

Everyone scattered in a different direction, looking for the little girl. Sirius headed towards the white cliffs, mostly because he was still fuming and wanted to walk off his anger. He stormed the rugged terrain for nearly two hours before finally deciding to head back to the house. Walking along the sea, he spotted something that looked out of place. He squinted his eyes, and saw an entrance to what looked to be a cave of some sort. When he got to the cave, a pair of wild green eyes stared at him. He had no idea how to approach an autistic child, so he sat down slowly in the doorway. 

"Beautiful view, isn't it?" He figured that she wouldn't understand him, but maybe she would recognize that his voice was friendly, at least. 

Her eyes focused on his own, and seemed to stare straight through him. It was eerie. "It's prettier at sunset. The waves are positively nonexistent this time of day. So go away, and leave me alone," she snapped. 

Wait a minute here, Sirius thought. Retarded children don't string sentences together like that, especially in Gaelic. But, retarded or no, she was scared of him, so he needed to think of something to calm her down. 

"Would you like to see a trick?" he asked in Gaelic, taking a deck of cards out of his pocket. Not waiting for a reply, he shuffled the deck. As he was about to finish, the entire deck of cards exploded in his face into little pieces. Isabelle giggled as the pieces reassembled themselves, and shuffled back together perfectly. 

"Do it again?" she asked. 

"Sure," he replied, as the pack exploded again. "Want to see something else?" 

"Like what?" Isabelle inquired curiously. 

"Like this." All of a sudden, bubbles of all different sizes and colors filled the fort. The bubbles suddenly sprouted, tiny, perfect gold wings and flew out the entrance over the water. 

"Wow." Her eyes were as large as saucers. 

He didn't know what else was going on with her, but it was clear to him that she could speak at least minimal Gaelic. "I don't believe we've been properly introduced. I'm Sirius. Sirius Black," and he put out his hand. 

"Nice to meet you, Sirius Black," she said as she shook his hand. "I'm Isabelle Rose Evans, and no one wants me," she whispered softly. 

"Now, why would you say that?" Sirius asked, his head cocked to one side. 

"Because, my sister Petunia left yesterday, and when my sister Lily came, she walked in and shouted that she was going to kill me," Isabelle began to cry. 

"Hey, come here," Sirius said. Isabelle flew into his arms, and cried on his shoulder. "Lily didn't want to kill you. She wanted to find you because she was worried about you. She wanted to kill Petunia for leaving you alone all night and all day." 

He was so angry that he could barely see straight. This girl was anything but autistic or retarded. And, she was absolutely starving for affection. She looked up at him through teary eyes, and at that moment, stole his heart. What hell had she been through in the past two years? Misunderstood, unable to communicate with anyone. He had a theory about what had happened, and a couple of quick questions confirmed his suspicions. After a half hour, he convinced her to come to the house for dinner. 

Lily met them at the door, and Sirius walked in first, carrying Isabelle, mostly to make sure that she didn't run off again. She was a quick little girl, and very people shy, as evidenced by her burying her head in his shoulder upon seeing other people in the kitchen. 

"It's ok. They're not going to hurt you," he reassured her. She gave him a very skeptical look, but hopped down and sat at the table. 

"What's going on, here?" Lily asked, confused. 

"What's going on is that your sister is not retarded. In fact, she's very bright, from what I can see. Watch this." He turned to Isabelle. "When did Petunia leave you?" 

"Yesterday evening, around six o'clock after tea." 

Everyone started at her in awe. "Yes, she speaks. Apparently she learned to speak Gaelic from your mother and her nanny, who didn't bother to teach her English," Sirius told them. "She can understand some English, though." 

"Pardon me, but can you tell my sister hello for me?" Isabelle asked politely. 

"What did she say?" Lily asked, eyes round as saucers. 

"To tell you hello." 

She looked at her little sister, who grinned and waved. Lily burst into tears, and wrapped her arms around a confused, but happy Isabelle. For the first time since her mother died, she felt like someone really cared about her. It was the happiest day of her life. 

"Speaking of tea, have you eaten anything today?" Sirius asked her. 

"No, Petunia left some porridge and sausages, but I hate porridge. And I'm allergic to pork, and that's all she cooks. If she ever bothered to look at my medical chart at the doctor's office, she'd figure that out." She rolled her eyes in disgust. 

"No wonder you're a string bean. How about some of these?" He pulled some chocolate frogs out of his pocket. Isabelle grabbed them eagerly, watching them hop around the table before catching and eating them. After that, she grabbed Sirius' hand and led him on a very animated tour of the house. 

"It sounds like she's speaking gibberish. Very fast gibberish," Remus said, shaking his head as they walked back into the kitchen. 

"I can imagine that's what we sound like to her," James replied, wondering how much of his conversation with Petunia she understood. As if reading his mind, Isabelle turned to him and gave him a knowing smile before heading upstairs for bed. 

~~~~~

  
Isabelle sat quietly on the wide staircase, watching the other people with the funny names talking downstairs in the kitchen. The tall, skinny one with the dark hair was shoveling food in his mouth with one hand, and doing something with a long stick with his other hand. Her sister's hair suddenly turned purple. And started glowing. 

"What's going on, string bean?" Sirius asked her, yawning, pausing on his way to breakfast. Wide-eyed, she pointed downstairs. "Oh, that." 

"How did he do that?" she whispered. 

"Magic. See, we're witches and wizards, which means that we have the gift of casting spells on stuff, or people." 

"Oh. Is that why Petunia hates you?" 

He smiled. "Yeah, I guess so. People who can't do magic, like her, we call Muggles." 

"Am I a Muggle?" 

"I have no idea. Want to find out?" 

"Sure," she said, excited. 

He took out his wand, and gave it to her. "This is a wand. We use wands to cast spells." 

She carefully held it in her left hand, thinking. Once, Lily accidentally left a book of interesting words at home when she went back to school from a holiday. Maybe those were spells. It was worth a shot, anyway. She pointed the wand at the skinny guy. "Petrificus totalus," she said. James immediately froze. Isabelle was amazed; she had no idea what those words meant. 

"That's what he gets for turning my sister's hair purple," she said triumphantly. 

Sirius was laughing so hard that he could hardly see straight. "Where did you learn that?" 

"I read it in a book," she replied. 

By this time, Remus had counteracted the spell, and everyone at the table was involved in a heated argument trying to figure out who cast the spell. 

"Whoever did that had better own up to it quick, or suffer the consequences. No one comes between me and my breakfast," James said, forming various methods of revenge in his mind. 

"You should be ashamed, threatening an eight-year-old girl," Sirius countered, highly amused at the looks on everyone's face. 

"You mean--" Lily stammered. 

"I mean that your sister just avenged your purple hair. It seems that Petunia was wrong yet again." He turned to Isabelle. "You're not only a witch, but a very strong one. Remind me not to get on the wrong side of your temper." 

"Well, purple clashes with her outfit. He should have picked blue," she said matter-of-factly. 

"You are the strangest little girl I have ever met." 

"Thank you. Petunia is normal, and I don't want to be like her." 

"I don't blame you. Are you ready for breakfast?" 

"I guess," she said, tromping down the stairs and sitting at the end of the table. Taking a deep breath, she picked up her fork with her right hand and started eating. After about thirty seconds, she accidentally bumped her glass, and sent orange juice everywhere. Two minutes later, egg flew across the room. By this time, she was on the verge of tears. 

"Uh, Lily? Does Isabelle not know how to eat, or is she the most uncoordinated person on planet earth?" Gina asked quietly. 

"Sirius? Can you find out what's going on?" Lily whispered, frustrated that she couldn't communicate with her. 

He looked at her for a minute, and something clicked in his mind. "Isabelle, why are you eating with your right hand?" 

"Because I'm supposed to eat with my right hand. I'm trying to be good, I promise. I'm getting better, really." 

"Did Petunia tell you that?" he said, trying not to let his rising anger show. 

"Yes." 

"I see. Will you try eating with your left hand for me? You won't get in any trouble," he added, at the skeptical look on her face. She switched her fork to her left hand, and began eating peacefully. "Is it easier for you to eat now?" 

"Yes," she admitted quietly, waiting to be yelled at. 

"That's because you're left-handed," he told her. "Lots of people are. See, Gina over there is left-handed, and there's nothing wrong with her." 

"Really?" 

"Really." 

"What's going on?" Lily asked, somewhat impatiently. 

"What's going on is that your sister is bloody left-handed!" Sirius let out a string of curses that left everyone wide-eyed in utter shock. "Isabelle is not autistic. She is not retarded. Or a Muggle. Or uncoordinated. Or unaffectionate. Petunia, that--" he began swearing again, "should not be put in charge of a flubberworm, let alone a child!" He looked Isabelle squarely in the eyes. "I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at Petunia, because she was mean to you. She's the meanest person that I have ever met, and everything she told us about you was wrong. I'm sorry that we didn't know what was going on here, but I promise that no one will ever treat you that way again. I need to go outside for a minute because I'm very, very angry. Will you be okay for a little while?" She nodded.

Sirius stormed out of the kitchen, slamming the door so hard that every window pane in the back of the house shook. Gina quickly stood up, and followed him outside. Everyone else looked around nervously, not knowing what to say. And Isabelle continued eating her breakfast with her left hand, because her new hero said that she could. In less than twenty-four hours, he completely changed her world, and she already adored him. 

~~~~~

  
Gina found Sirius leaning against a tree with his arms crossed, staring at the sea. His eyes matched the sea, she noticed, grey and angry. 

"You see yourself in her, don't you?" 

"Yes." 

"I've lost you, haven't I?" It was a statement, not a question. 

He looked at her through pained eyes. More than anything in his entire life, he wanted to go to New York with her, partially to get away from his own problems, and partially in the hope that she would fall in love with him. But, in that kitchen was a little girl who had been abandoned by anyone she had ever cared about. Regina was right –– he understood how Isabelle felt. How could he abandon her, too? 

"I'm sorry. She needs me." 

"I know, and I understand. Really, I do. She's one lucky child to have you in her life. You'll visit me, right?" she said, trying to lighten the mood. 

"Count on it," he said. "Can you give me a minute? I just need to think." 

"Sure." She walked back into the house. 

Sirius felt like his heart was slowly being crushed. The only woman he had ever loved was leaving him to follow her dreams an ocean away. Sure, he had plenty of random flings, but no one even remotely compared to Regina Potter. How could he just let her get away like that? I can't, he decided. I'll just tell Lily to hire a tutor to teach Isabelle English. After all, she wasn't his responsibility, or his problem. That would leave him free to go to New York as planned. He felt much better. 

"Excuse me?" came a tiny voice to his right. 

"Yes?" 

"You forgot your wand," Isabelle said, holding it out in front of her. 

"Oh. Thank you," he replied, taking it out of her hand. Sirius looked into her innocent, trusting eyes and lost all of his resolve. New York would simply have to wait. 

~~~~~

Thanks for the review, Lux Aeterna! *grins*

As usual, all feedback welcome...

  



	3. Chapter 3: Mummy P

Chapter 3

  


"Do you have everything you need?" Sirius said loudly, in order to be heard in the busy terminal. The airport hummed with activity. It was the most bizarre sight he'd ever seen, and a peculiar way to travel. Who would want to fly in a giant metal tin can? Muggles, apparently, and in great numbers. 

"Yes," Gina replied, patting her carry-on bag. 

"Are you sure you want to get on that thing?" he asked, pointing at the jumbo jet pulling into the gate. 

She laughed. "I've never flown before. I figure it's a new experience to start my new life." 

"Well, at least you can disapperate if something goes wrong," he consoled himself. 

"Thank you, Mr. Optimist." 

"You're welcome, Ms. Johnson," he replied with a raised eyebrow. 

"Oh, that." 

"Yes, that. Care to explain why you applied to Fleur de Paris under an alias?" 

"Isn't it obvious? The Potter name is recognized everywhere, and I wanted to get into the program on my own talent, not because of who my parents are. Thank you for not telling anyone. I knew you'd understand." 

"Of course I understand. That's why I'm here, remember?" 

"American Airlines flight 131 to New York, now boarding," came a voice over the loudspeaker. 

"Well, that's me. Wish me luck." 

"You won't need it, but good luck anyway." 

She hugged him. "I'll miss you. Give Lily a hug for me, ok? Isabelle, too. I'd ask you to hug James and Remus, too, but well, I don't think that you'd do it." 

"Uh, no. I'll miss you, too," he replied wistfully, wishing that he was getting on that plane with her. 

She walked down the ramp and onto the plane, waving goodbye. Sirius stayed at the window until the plane was completely out of sight, and then turned to go home. 

~~~~~

  
"Excuse me, ma'am, would you like something to drink?" 

Regina turned her head away from the window, to look at the flight attendant. He was pushing some sort of cart full of various drink cans and snacks, but she didn't recognize any of them. 

"Uh, sure. Some water, please," she replied. She had never been so excited in all her life to be going somewhere. New York City, the promised land, where all of her hopes and dreams were sure to be fulfilled. Wasn't that the point of America? she thought. The Statue of Liberty, and all of that? 

She wasn't sure if it was what she was leaving behind or what she was going to that had her so excited. Sighing, she remembered the argument she had had with her mother when her parents found out she had an internship with Fleur de Paris. They seemed to think that her place was buying the gowns and wearing them to endless society functions, not designing them. 

Luckily, both James and Sirius had defended her actions to her parents, mostly out of respect for her decisions, not because they agreed with her. It was no secret that James wished that she would stay in Dover with Lily, and get a job in London if she wanted to be an artist so badly. What a hypocrite, she huffed. If he can travel all over the world playing Quiddich, then what's wrong with my internship? She and James agreed on very little lately, and unfortunately, Lily and Sirius were stuck in the middle of both of them, trying to keep the peace. Truth be told, she was more than thrilled to put an ocean between herself and her brother. 

She couldn't quite figure out what Sirius thought about her leaving England. In a way, his opinion mattered even more than James', but he was so quiet lately. And when he wasn't off brooding somewhere, he was usually with Isabelle. For some reason, that little girl wrapped her way around his heart like no one else ever had. And there was no lack of females trying to get his attention, she thought, smiling to herself. Some day, one of the legions of girls who fancied him would catch his eye, and he'd settle down in Dover, just like James. 

Too bad Lily just had to fall in love with my brother, she lamented. Back in fifth year, she had tried to set her best friend up with Sirius, but she fell for James, instead. Things would be much more fun if she was with Sirius, she decided. Or Remus, for that matter. James brought out her inner prude. But, everyone just loved perfect, wonderful James more than her. She frowned. 

"Attention, passengers. We're about to begin our approach for landing at John F. Kennedy Memorial Airport. Air Traffic Control indicates that we'll pull in the gate around eight o'clock p.m., right on time. It is currently sixty-seven degrees Fahrenheit, and partially cloudy in New York City. For those of you continuing on to Washington, D.C., the plane will leave forty-five minutes after landing. For those of you staying in New York City, the flight attendants will pass out customs forms shortly. Please have those and all other paperwork ready as you leave the plane for the customs gates. Thank you for flying American Airlines." 

Customs gates? Paperwork? Regina was hopelessly confused as she took out a hodgepodge of papers from her carry-on bag. The flight attendant noticed her puzzled look as he passed by, and paused to ask her if she needed any help. Grateful, she allowed him to sift through the papers and fill out the necessary forms, explaining them as he went. 

"Just hand these to the customs agent. When he asks you why you're coming to America, tell him that you're a student, so that you get a student visa, ok?" 

She nodded, not really knowing what a visa was. But, whatever it was, she needed it to stay in New York, apparently. And, she would do whatever it took to stay, she thought resolutely as the flight attendant left to buckle in for the plane's descent into the airport. 

The passengers swarmed towards the front of the plane, hurrying out into the terminal. Cautiously picking up her paperwork in one hand, and her bag in the other, she followed the horde towards the customs station and joined the massive queue. After about fifteen minutes of waiting, she finally reached an agent and plopped the papers on the counter. It had cost her a small fortune to manufacture an entire separate identity, and she crossed her fingers, hoping that all the money and work had not gone to waste. 

"Yes, Ms. Johnson, why are you traveling to America?" the agent sneered. 

"Uh, because I'm a student." Thank goodness for that flight attendant, she thought. 

"How long do you plan to stay?" 

Forever, she wanted to reply, but somehow she thought that answer would not please the agent. "One year, the length of my internship." 

The agent sifted through her passport, visa application, and other forms. After a minute, she turned to the back of Gina's falsified passport, and stamped the visa onto the page. "Thank you, Ms. Johnson, and welcome to America." 

"Thank you," she replied politely, hurrying into the main terminal, relieved. She had sold at least two dozen paintings to earn the money to pay Robert MacNamera for both his skills as a forger and his silence. But, obviously, he was the best. After finding her luggage, she walked down the concourse to the taxi stands, flagging down the nearest cab. 

"Where to?" the driver growled. 

She pulled out a small piece of paper. "The Washington Square Hotel." 

"In the West Village?" 

"Yes, I believe that's the one. It's on Waverly Place." 

The driver pulled away from the curb, and began weaving in and out of traffic at breakneck speed. Fascinated, Regina stared out the window at the city. After having at least three near accidents on the Long Island Expressway, the cab pulled up to the hotel. 

"Thank you," she said as she stepped out of the cab, tipping the driver well. She hurried into the hotel, checked in for the night, and collapsed on the bed. Looking for an apartment would have to wait until tomorrow, she thought groggily, falling into a deep sleep. 

She woke up at the crack of dawn, ready to find an apartment so that she wouldn't have to pay for another night at the hotel. Between her forged identity, the plane ticket, and the hotel room, she would barely have enough money to live off of until her first paycheck. So, she grabbed a bagel from a nearby coffee shop, and scanned the classifieds for apartment listings, circling the ones that showed potential. 

There just had to be a suitable apartment in this neighborhood, she told herself. She had only been sightseeing for an hour, and had completely fallen in love with Greenwich Village, or the West Village as the locals called it. In the New York travel guides, the West Village was known as the refuge for artists, writers, and other creative thinkers. It was an eclectic, energetic place, which suited Regina perfectly. She gathered up her belongings, and headed towards the first apartment listing. 

After three hours, her feet smarted and her head ached. She had seen thirty apartments, and had visited every street between Bank and Bleeker, with no luck. Either they were too expensive, too small, had bizarre roommates, or were in odd locations. If this last apartment didn't work out, she would have to go back to the hotel, and would be in serious financial trouble. Worried, she read the listing. 

  
FIFTH AVENUE near Washington Square This apartment is in a small plain old, elevator building. There is a locked front door and a simple entry way in the building. This apartment is on the third floor facing the gardens in the rear. There is a large pleasantly furnished living room/dining room not luxurious, but nicely furnished. There is a wood burning fireplace in the living room. The bathroom is old but good. This 2-bedroom apartments is in the most central, convenient part of Greenwich Village. It is close to Washington Square Park, Union Square (14th Street) and New York University. All of the subway lines and bus lines are very close. 

  
Sighing, she folded the newspaper together, and walked the five blocks to the building. She pushed open the front door, and let herself into the manager's office. 

"Yes?" the manager said, not looking up from the pile of papers on his desk. 

"I'm here about the apartment listed in the paper." 

"You're too late. Just rented it this morning." 

"Oh," she replied, dejected, turning to go back to the hotel. 

"Hey, wait," the manager called. "I think the guy I rented this place to is looking for a roommate. Kinda had the same accent as you, too. Where are you from, anyway?" 

"Chelsea." He gave her a puzzled look. "It's a neighborhood in London, England." 

"Gotcha. Let me buzz the guy real quick." He picked up the telephone, and dialed a number. "Yeah, there's a lady here wondering if you need a roommate, a--" he turned to Regina. "What's your name?" 

"Johnson. Regina Johnson." 

"The name's Johnson. Anyway, you interested? Uh-huh...ok...be right up, then." He looked up. "Wanna see the apartment?" 

"Sure," she replied, following him into the elevator. What could possibly be the harm in looking? The manager opened the door, and Regina couldn't believe her eyes. She let out a small, excited scream, and threw herself around a completely astonished Severus Snape. 

"Uh, you two know each other?" the manager asked. 

"Yes, we went to school together. I can't believe it's you," she said happily. She had been a little worried coming here on her own without Sirius, but things had definitely taken a turn for the better. 

Severus was stunned. Of all the people to show up on his door, never, ever, in a million years would he expect to see Regina Potter. For the past year and a half, he had tried his hardest to get over her. But she was so friendly, so nice to him, and in the end, he decided to move a continent away to get out from under her spell. Obviously, that little plan failed, as she moved past him to get a look at the apartment. Suddenly, he realized how shabby the small flat was, especially compared to what she was used to. Not exactly the Potter mansion, he thought glumly, as she bit her lip, thinking. 

"This place is absolutely--" Severus braced for the insults, "perfect. Just perfect. When can I move in?" she asked. 

His head spun. "Well, um," he stuttered. 

"Because if you don't mind, it would really help my financial situation if I could move in right away. That is, if that's ok with you." 

"Sure, that's fine," he managed to choke out. 

"Great," she continued. "I have enough money for the rent, I think, until my first paycheck." 

"Paycheck? But you're a--" 

"I'm starting a new life on my own," she said quietly so that the manager wouldn't hear her. "New city, new job, new name, and no trust fund. I'm independent now. And, I really need a place to stay. So, what do you say? I'm really not that bad to live with, I promise." She gave him a lopsided grin that made him melt. 

"But what about James and Sirius?" 

"What about them? So what if the three of you don't get along. Big deal. I like you, and that's all that matters, right?" 

If this was a dream, Severus did not want to wake up. Ever. How did I ever get this lucky? he thought, following her back to the hotel to collect her belongings. 

~~~~~

  
Sirius sat on a chair in front of the fire, staring into the flames. The house was quiet – too quiet – leaving him alone with his thoughts. He would have gladly welcomed company, but Remus was in France with some girl. Mindy, he thought. James left two weeks ago to train with the English national team for the Quiddich World Cup, and Lily was off writing him a letter. And Regina was in New York City. 

That's the rub, isn't it? he thought. I'm here, and she's over there, having the time of her life, probably forgetting that I exist. Not that she really knows that I exist, anyway, on a plane other than the boy next door. 

He scowled at the fire. After a minute, he realized that he wasn't alone. He looked to his right and saw Isabelle sitting on the floor with a book that probably weighed as much as she did. 

"What's that?" he asked her. 

"Well, I was going to ask you to read to me, but you look sad. So, never mind," Isabelle said quietly. 

"Am I that obvious?" She nodded. "I'm not too sad to read, though. Come here." She crawled up in his lap, clutching the heavy book. His throat constricted as he saw the title of the huge volume. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. Of all the books on planet earth, why did Isabelle have to be holding the one that reminds me of Regina? he agonized. 

"Where'd you get this from?" he asked. 

"My mum used to read it to me before she died," came the tiny reply. 

"Oh." No way he could possibly refuse her, then, he decided. The poor girl was emotionally scarred enough. 

"Did your mum ever read to you?" 

"Well, no. She died when I was born." 

"So, you don't have a mother, either." Her big green eyes stared into his curiously. 

"No, I don't." 

"Do you have a father?" 

He smiled at her hesitant questions. Considering that her father died shortly after her mother, that would be a natural follow-up question. "Yes, my father's alive. I don't know him very well, though." 

"Why not?" 

"Because he's always away on business. People tell me it's because it broke his heart when my mum died, and he can't stand to be around me because I remind him of her. I think that's a load of crock. If I was in my father's place, things would be different." 

"Different how?" 

"I wouldn't ignore my child. I lost my mother, too. Wish my father would realize that. Anyway, what would like for me to read to you?" 

"Shakespeare's sonnet number forty-two, please." 

"Ok," he said, flipping through the pages. "That thou hast her, it is not all my grief; and yet it may be said that I loved her dearly--" 

"That she hath thee, is of my wailing chief, a loss in love that touches me more nearly." 

"How did you know that?" 

"I have them all memorized," she said, as if this was the most obvious thing in the world. "I just like to be read to." 

Sirius shook his head in amusement, and finished the sonnet. After he was done, she had him keep reading until she finally put her head on his shoulder and fell asleep. He waited a few minutes to make sure she was sound asleep, and carried her upstairs to bed. 

~~~~~

  
"Alohomora," Severus said lazily, opening the door to the apartment. 

"Oh good, you're here," came a voice from the living room. "Come here for a second." 

He put down his stack of potions books and ingredients on the kitchen table, and walked into the living room, which was completely transformed from when he left it in the morning. Regina had repaired the ratty old sofa and chair, recovering them in a deep beige fabric. Cheerful, eclectic throw pillows dotted the furniture, complimenting the new lampshades and window sheers. 

"So, what do you think? We're allowed to take fabric remnants home from work, so I collected the prettiest ones, and experimented all day." 

"It's great." Great really didn't describe her amazing decorating taste, but it was the best adjective he could come up with. 

"You really like it?" She gave him a thousand-watt smile. He nodded. "I call it shabby sheik. Well, my interpretation of shabby sheik, anyway. It's a start. I'll work on the rest of this place next week, if that's alright with you." 

"Sure." For some reason, he couldn't manage to string together more than ten words in her presence. She must really think I'm daft, he thought crossly. 

Regina slowly stood up, stretching like a cat, and plopped down on the sofa. "Oh, what a day," she lamented. 

"You didn't really have to do all this. Not that I don't appreciate it or anything." 

"What, are you kidding? You saved my skin for sure. One more night in that overpriced hotel, and I would've either had to go crying to Mummy and Daddy or get a loan from Sirius. And neither option was particularly appealing. The least I can do is decorate the place. I'm a designer, remember?" 

"A clothing designer, not an interior decorator." 

"Minor details. I'm multifarious, but I'm just one person. Can't use all my talents at one time." She winked at him. 

The way she said that made Severus' ears turn pink. She really had a way with words, he decided. Well, two can play this game. "Multifarious, huh? Pray tell, what are these hidden talents?" 

"If you're lucky, you just may find out." 

With that, she flashed him a smile that could only be interpreted as flirtatious, and skipped out of the room to get ready for a night out on the town with the girls from work. A half hour later, she walked back into the living room, where Severus was reading a book on antidotes. 

"What do you think?" 

He looked up, and had to work very hard to maintain his composure. She was wearing a blue top that matched her eyes perfectly, and from what he could see, was backless except for three tiny laces tied in double knots to hold the top together. It complimented her completely skin-tight black pants and three-inch, strappy heels. She had styled her hair so that it fell halfway down her back with just the right amount of body, which had taken ten minutes to charm properly. As an added touch, she wove small rainbow colored butterfly clips to her raven-black hair to add some color. 

"It's a change from Hogwarts' school uniforms, for sure. It'll do," Severus said calmly. 

She narrowed her eyes at him, who returned to reading his book. Thanks to James and Sirius, she wasn't exactly asked out often, or had much experience around men. Not that any of the boys from school appealed to her, anyway, but there was just something about Severus that kept intriguing her. 

"Well, I'm glad my outfit is adequate for a girls' night out," she joked, grabbing a gauzy cloak from the hall closet and heading out the door. She paused to smile at him before closing the door. 

~~~~~

  
"Isabelle? Are you ready yet?" Lily shouted from the living room. A minute later, tiny feet thundered down the staircase, clutching a small suitcase. 

"Sorry, I couldn't find my shoes," she carefully pronounced in English. 

"That's ok. We just need to leave so that we don't miss our portkey." Lily smiled at Sirius. "I can never, ever thank you enough for helping me with her." 

"No problem," he replied. "She's really coming along. I bet she'll be fluent in English by next summer." 

"Which is when we'll get to Connemara if we don't hurry up." 

They rushed out the front door, and into the Evans' old Rolls Royce. Gravel flew everywhere as Lily sped down the lane, and through Dover, grumbling about how the portkey's location wasn't accessible by Floo powder. The nearest portkey was in Brighton, and she was not going to miss it and wait another minute to see James. She parked the car in an old, abandoned lot, and rushed into the banquet hall in the back of a tiny restaurant. Five people were grouped around a dish towel in the center of the room. 

"What's that?" Isabelle said, wide-eyed. 

"It's a portkey. We grab a hold of it, and it takes us to another place. This one will take to Ireland where we'll see James play Quiddich, ok?" She looked up at Sirius skeptically. "Tell you what. How about you hold my hand, and if the portkey takes us somewhere weird, we'll be lost together?" 

She hesitated, but eventually held his hand with a surprising grip for a girl her age. The other people could barely hide their astonishment at the way he treated Isabelle. Sirius Black's reputation preceded him, and he was well known as a temperamental loose cannon, not the kind of person anyone would pick at first blush to help raise a little girl. Or after giving the idea a second thought. The clock in the banquet hall chimed ten o'clock, and the group disappeared. Isabelle shut her eyes tightly and held onto Sirius for dear life. Living with Lily was paradise compared to Petunia, but was still scary sometimes, like now. Everyone plopped onto the ground with a loud thump. 

"Ten o'clock from Brighton just arrived," an official-looking man said. 

"Uh, Isabelle? We're here. You can open your eyes now," Lily said reassuringly. She opened her eyes to the first glimpses of this wizarding world she now belonged to. 

She gasped in utter amazement at both her physical surroundings and at all of the people milling about, scurrying through the town square. The Ministry of Magic set up the portkeys to land all travelers in the middle of a town built especially for the Quiddich World Cup. Streets wound in every direction, full of shops, restaurants, hotels and even some private houses for important dignitaries. 

"Where are we?" she whispered. 

Sirius laughed. "We're on an island off the western coast of Ireland called Inish Shark. Why don't we go put our stuff away at the house, and we'll look around, ok?" 

"Ok," came her tiny reply. 

"Lil, do you have any idea where we're supposed to go?" 

"James said to look for the largest, most ostentatious building in the whole town, and that's it. I think it's down this street," she said, pointing. They walked off the portkey landing area, and headed down Wilde Alley. 

Supposedly, when Muggles lived on the island, the playwright Oscar Wilde's mother lived in the now abandoned village. So, when Ministry officials were plotting the town designs, they decided to name a street after her. It was a stoke of genius to utilize the deserted island for the World Cup, because visitors and spectators could travel without detection. After installing clever anti-Muggle security devices around the perimeter of Inish Shark, the Ministry felt confident that they were completely invisible to the Muggle settlements on the mainland. 

Holding Lily's hand on one side and Sirius' on the other, Isabelle was in heaven. She watched in wonder as all sorts of people stopped them every few feet to talk to them, and treated them as if they were important. After at least fifteen polite conversations, they reached an enormous Gothic mansion at the end of the street. A large privacy fence surrounded the houses' grounds, and a uniformed guard stood at an ornate brass gate. 

"Looks like the place." Sirius rolled his eyes, and walked up to the guard. 

"Good morning, Mr. Black, Ms. Evans and Miss Evans," the guard said formally, nodding to each of them in turn. 

"Good morning," they replied. 

"We've been expecting you. Melanie will show you to your rooms." He opened the gate, and they walked through the grounds and into the house. An older lady opened the door, ushering them into the massive foyer. 

"Well, hello, Miss Melanie," Sirius said in an obnoxious imitation of a Southern accent. She put her hands on her hips and pursed her lips, but her severe face softened into a slight smile. 

"Hi, Melanie," Lily added quickly. "This is my little sister, Isabelle." 

She bowed slightly, and let them upstairs, showing them their quarters. Lily was happy that her rooms adjoined Isabelle's. She wanted to make sure that she was close to her sister in case she got upset or scared. This was her first real trip away from home, and Lily wasn't sure how she would react to the large crowds. So far, she seemed to adjust well, and was happily playing with a box of toys that someone thoughtfully put in her room. 

"Hey Lily, what are you doing this afternoon?" 

"Showing Isabelle around, I guess. Why?" 

Sirius gave her a slightly wicked grin. "Because I just so happen to know that the English national team isn't practicing this afternoon, and that a certain best friend of mine is miserable because he hasn't seen his girl in months. I'll watch her this afternoon so you can go see James." 

Her face lit up. "Are you sure?" 

"Positive." 

Lily gave Isabelle a quick hug goodbye, warned her to mind Sirius, and rushed to her quarters to find something decent to wear. After going through five whole outfits, she quickly pinned her hair up, and hurried to the Quiddich practice area. 

"Well, string bean, ready to see the town?" 

Isabelle nodded, and he led her out of the house and onto the street. They walked up Wilde Alley, pausing to look at different street vendors' wares. Sirius was explaining how to play gobstones at the games booth when a tall, thin, beautiful brunette walked up to them. 

"Hello, Sirius," she said in a silky voice. 

"Hello, DeAnne," he replied without looking up. 

"A group of us is heading to the pub on Brown Street. Interested?" 

"Sorry, already have a date for the afternoon. Please excuse me." He grabbed Isabelle's hand and led her down the street, leaving DeAnne at the booth with a shocked look on her face. 

"Who was that?" 

"DeAnne Carter," he said through clenched teeth. "She's only good for certain things, conversation not being one of them. Not a person you need to be around." 

"What things is she good for?" 

"The sort of things that if any guy even thought about doing with you, I'd bash his face in." 

"Oh." Isabelle didn't know what Sirius was talking about, but whatever it was, it must be very bad, she thought. They reached the town square, and stopped, wondering where to go next. 

"How about we go that way?" he pointed. 

It was not a coincidence that Shamrock Lane was in the opposite direction as Brown Street. Isabelle had no business being around DeAnne's trashy crowd. He felt strangely protective of her, probably because they had similar backgrounds. He didn't want her to grow up the same way that he did, with random girlfriends coming and going, parties, being abandoned for the majority of the time, and passed off to nannies and tutors. If it wasn't for the Potters, he wouldn't have any family life at all. No, he decided, Isabelle was going to have stability. She suddenly stopped in the middle of the street, gawking at a store window. 

"Ooooh, what are they?" she said excitedly. 

"Those are broomsticks. People fly on them, like James when he plays Quiddich." A group of guys across the street caught his eye, waiving to him. "You can go into the shop and look at them, as long as you stay right there and don't go anywhere else. I'm just going across the street and won't be long, ok?" He watched her bound into the store, full of energy, and walked up to his friends. 

"It's been awhile since we've seen you around, Black," Dominic MacDouglas said. 

"Been busy," he replied. 

"I see. Where's Potter?" 

"Where do you think?" 

"Right where I'd be if I had a girl like Lily Evans. That her sister?" he asked, nodding his head towards the store. 

"That's Isabelle," Remus affirmed. 

"Yeah, I heard what you said to DeAnne," Xavier Collins interjected. 

"News travels that fast?" Sirius was amazed. 

"News like that does. Why you turned down something like her, I don't know," Xavier added. 

"Oh, please," Sirius snorted. "I could have her any day. Why bother with her when there is so much variety here?" 

"True," Peter Pettigrew simpered. 

"Whatever. The last time that you even got close to snogging a girl was when we were testing out love potions fourth year," Remus teased. 

While Peter sputtered, trying to form a comeback, Sirius got an eerie feeling that something wasn't quite right. He looked across the street into the broomstick store. Isabelle was gone. 

"Remus, do you see Isabelle anywhere?" he asked as calmly as possible. 

"No," he replied tensely. 

"What's the big deal? She's eight, right? She can take care of herself for a few minutes," Dominic shrugged. 

"The big deal," Sirius exploded, "is that she's never been away from home before and can't even speak English. I told her not to go anywhere. Alright, I need to go find her." 

"I'll go with you," Remus said, worried. 

They started walking in opposite directions down the street, looking for a little blonde girl in light green robes. Sirius looked in every shop, restaurant, hotel, street vendors' cart and alleyway on Shamrock Lane, but didn't see her. He rounded the corner, and breathed a sigh of relief. Isabelle was petting a large black and tan dog tethered to a tarot readers' booth. He rushed up to her. 

"What are you doing here, young lady? Didn't I tell you to stay in the broomsticks store?" he said angrily. A pair of guilty green eyes looked up at him. 

"I'm sorry. I saw the lady walking the doggie down the street, and I've never seen this big of a dog before. So, I followed the lady here and asked her if I could pet him," she said quietly. "His name is Thor." 

In spite of himself, he had to fight from smiling. She looked so contrite, but he couldn't let her get away with disobeying him, even though part of him wanted to. He stood there, trying to think of an appropriate punishment. 

"Well, well, what do we have here?" came a sneering voice behind Sirius. He turned around, hands clenched. 

"Sod off, Malfoy, if you know what's good for you," he warned in a quiet tone. 

"Who is this? Very pretty girl, but isn't she a little young for you?" Lucius taunted, patting Isabelle on the top of her head. 

Before he could say another word, Sirius knocked him to the ground with a crushing blow to the face. Lucius stood, holding his jaw, and punched Sirius in the gut, beginning a full-fledged fight. By this time, a small group had gathered in the town square to watch them beat each other senseless. Remus heard the cheers, fought his way to the front of the crowd, and pulled Sirius off Lucius. 

"Get a hold of yourself, mate," Remus said, holding him back. "Not only is that filth not worth the effort, but you have some explaining to do to a very scared little girl who just watched you pound the crap out of that git." 

Sirius spat on Lucius, who was clutching his head on the ground. "Don't ever come near her again unless you want to talk like your house elf. And look like one, too." He grabbed Isabelle by the shoulder as gently as his temper would allow, and led her through the crowd in the direction of the Potters' house. 

Remus quickly followed them through the town square, stopping Sirius before he reached Wilde Alley. "Hey, why don't I take her back to the house? You need to go cool off," he said. 

"No, I'll take care of it. Isabelle needs to know that running off unsupervised is not allowed. Or disobedience, for that matter." 

"Are you sure? I mean, it's no problem." He felt incredibly sorry for the little girl, who was watching the conversation with teary eyes. 

"I said, I'll take care of it," Sirius repeated very slowly through clenched teeth. 

"Fine. Guess I'll see you later, then." Remus wasn't about to become the target for his ire, so he shrugged his shoulders and headed back towards Shamrock Lane. 

"Isabelle, you know that you weren't supposed to leave the store, right?" She nodded, two fat tears rolling down her cheeks. Sirius almost caved in at the miserable look on her face. Almost. "You need to learn to listen to us when we tell you to do something. We're not trying to be mean, we just don't want you to get hurt. And, there's a lot here that could hurt you. So, because you didn't do what you were supposed to, we're going back to the house. When we get there, you need to go to your room and stay there until one of us comes to get you. Do you understand?" 

"Yes, sir," she sniffled, biting her lip. 

They were halfway down the alley when Sirius felt a slight tug on his robes. "What is it, Isabelle?" 

"Um, are you sending me back to Petunia tonight or do I get to see James play Quiddich?" 

He turned to her, absolutely astonished. "What? Do you think that you have to go live with Petunia again because you were bad?" 

She bobbed her head up and down, tears flying everywhere. Sirius stopped her right in the middle of the alley, and knelt down to her level. 

"Listen to me," he said, holding her by the shoulders and looking straight into her eyes. "Everybody does things that are bad. When you do something wrong, you're disciplined so that you don't do it again. That doesn't mean that we don't want you to live with us anymore. You are never, ever going to live with Petunia again. There is nothing that you could do to make Lily send you back to her." 

"Really?" 

"Promise." 

Isabelle looked at Sirius with his bloodied nose, puffy lower lip, and bruised jaw. She burst into a huge grin and hugged him tightly. 

"Whoa, there," he winced, realizing that Malfoy cracked at least two of his ribs. He didn't know why he didn't feel it before then. "Now that we have that settled, I think someone still needs to go to her room." 

She frowned, but followed him down the alley and into the house. 

Sirius opened the door and pointed up the staircase. "Go on, now." She turned, and quickly ran up the stairs. 

"Now that's a sight I never thought I'd see. Sirius Black, an authority figure," a well-bred, genteel voice behind him laughed. 

"The times, they are a-changing," he replied. "Nice to see you, too, Mummy P." 

She rolled her eyes, which quickly widened when she saw his injuries. "Some things never change, I see. Who did you fight with this time?" 

"Lucius Malfoy." 

"Pity you couldn't have included his father in the fray." 

"Old man Malfoy still giving the Ministry trouble?" 

"Unfortunately." Victoria Potter sighed, rubbing her temples with her right hand. "He always has the Ministry chasing their tails over one thing or another. Come into the kitchen; I think I have something to fix those cracked ribs of yours." They walked through the palatial mansion to the enormous kitchen in the rear of the house. 

"Did they give you enough house?" Sirius teased. "I think it's bigger than the hotel on Shamrock Lane." 

"It is bigger than every hotel on Inish Shark. I suppose that Stephen being the Minister of Magic and James playing for England in the finals might have had something to do with it." She winked at him, pulling ingredients out of the refrigerator and mixing a blue, gelatinous potion. "Here. This should fix most of your injuries." 

"Thank you," he said, plugging his nose and downing the disgusting concoction. 

"Let me see here," Victoria started ticking off names on her fingers, "Stephen is due to arrive tomorrow morning, James is with Lily, Isabelle is upstairs sleeping, and you are here." 

"What about Regina?" 

"Unless some miracle happens, I do not See her leaving New York anytime soon." 

"She's not coming to the match tomorrow?" Sirius could not hide his disappointment. 

"I cannot say. I try not to interfere in her business, especially since she is in this rebellious phase. She will come around eventually. I am glad there are those who love her no matter what she does, though. Anyway, what are your plans tonight?" 

"Well, Lily will probably be with James all night, so I might take Isabelle back out. She's really a good little girl, and I should've realized that leaving her alone in a new place was not a good idea." 

"I'll watch her for you tonight. You need to go out with your friends and have some fun. Raising her is an awful lot of responsibility." 

"No, that's ok. I don't mind," he insisted. 

"I have Seen much about this child. She is crucial to the future of our family, and I would like to get to know her. Besides, looking after her excuses me from tonight's formal activities, which we both know are hardly exciting." 

"Very true. Since you put it that way, how can I refuse?" They grinned at each other. 

"Isabelle speaks Gaelic, correct?" 

"Yes. Listen, uh, I don't know how to say this, considering that you're like my mum, but I plan to party tonight. And, I don't really want to come home in the middle of the night and run the risk of Isabelle seeing me in an, um, altered state of consciousness. I hate to ask you, but--" 

"I'll tell her that you're spending the night with friends and will be back in the morning. Sirius, I am very proud of the way you treat Isabelle. You will be an excellent father one day." And I'm counting on it, Victoria thought before continuing. "However, I'm in no hurry to be a surrogate grandmother. So, whatever you do, please be extremely careful." 

Sirius turned bright red. "Always am. Anyway, I'll see you in the morning." 

"Have fun," she said, laughing at how quickly he left the room. 

He returned a few minutes later, with a very sleepy Isabelle in his arms. Her heavy-eyed porcelain face lay completely still on his shoulder. Sirius shrugged sheepishly. 

"I went upstairs to change and go out, but I felt bad leaving without telling her goodbye. Then I realized that she's never met you in person, and I didn't want her to be scared, so I decided to bring her down here. She's getting really heavy, though, so where do you want me to put her down?" 

"The drawing room, of course," Victoria answered, smiling as she watched Sirius carry Isabelle down the hallway and into the drawing room. The room was a warm beige, decorated with deep chocolate leather furniture, accented by various houseplants and art. Isabelle's eyes flew open when he put her down gently on the sofa. 

"Hey, I'm going to spend the night with some friends," he began. Her eyes clouded over immediately, and her lower lip began to tremble. 

"Are you leaving because I was bad?" 

"No, of course not. I'll tell you why I have to go out, if you can keep a secret." She nodded eagerly, and scooted closer to Sirius. 

"Well, it's because Remus will get in trouble if I don't go. He might drink a little too much," he whispered so that Victoria couldn't hear him. 

"Oh. You need to go help him, then," she replied seriously. It was all Sirius could do not to laugh. 

"Lily should be back later tonight, ok? Until then, Mummy P wants to spend time with you." 

She studied Victoria carefully. Although most people found the tall, stately woman intimidating, there was something comforting about her. 

"It is very nice to finally meet you," Victoria smiled. "I've heard so much about you." 

"You speak my language," Isabelle exclaimed, thrilled that she had another person to talk to. 

"Well enough to get by, anyway." She turned to Sirius, who was hovering in the doorway. "Scoot, already! This is a girls' night only. No boys allowed." Isabelle giggled as he threw up his hands in mock defeat. 

"Fine. I know where I'm not wanted. See you ladies tomorrow." 

"Pardon me, but what is this sofa made out of?" Isabelle asked, poking at the cushion. 

"A very fine type of leather," Victoria replied, sitting next to the little girl. "I have a room that looks just like this one at my home in Chelsea. No matter where I go, the only thing I ask for is that I have my drawing room. Would you like to know why?" 

"Yes, ma'am." 

"Because it's like having a little piece of home with me all the time. My own grandmother had a room just like this when I was small. Now, what would you like for dinner? I can honestly offer you anything you want." 

"Spaghetti and meatballs, please. Don't tell Lily, but her meatballs taste horrible." 

"I won't say a word," Victoria said, hiding a smile behind her hand. 

They went to the kitchen, where a small army of house-elves produced two steaming bowls of spaghetti in no time at all. Over dinner, this little girl who would become the family matriarch one day enchanted Victoria. After splitting a massive brownie sundae, she led Isabelle back to the drawing room. She looked at the child, trying to figure out how to begin this necessary discussion with her. 

"Isabelle, have you ever heard of special gifts that some witches and wizards have?" 

"Yes. Sirius told me that you are a Seer," she said promptly. 

"Do you know what that means?" Victoria inquired. 

"That you can See the future, right?" 

"Right. But, there are other special gifts, too. You have a very rare gift called Discernment. That means that you can see the present for what it truly is. You can correctly analyze a situation in that moment, and determine a person's true character." 

"How do you know that?" 

"Well, your sister Lily is a Discerner, the first one in at least a hundred years. Since you share the same eye color, I'm guessing that your emerald eyes are a sign of a Discerner. Other than that, you have a piercing stare that makes the other person feel like you are staring at their soul. People feel that way because you can stare at a soul, mostly by reading their thoughts and feelings." 

"Oh. Is that bad?" 

"No, it is a very good gift to have. But, you must never tell anyone that you are a Discerner, because if you do, bad people will try to use your gift to manipulate others. And it is not a perfect gift, either. Sometimes your own feelings will get in the way of Discerning how another person feels towards you. I have Seen that this will be a problem for you." 

"Can I See the future, too?" 

"No, your thoughts and visions of the present cloud your ability to See the future. Once in a while, you can have a vision of the future, but so rarely that I wouldn't trust the vision at all." Victoria paused, satisfied that Isabelle understood the conversation. She picked up a large volume from the ottoman across from the sofa, and placed it in her lap. 

"What is that?" Isabelle asked curiously. 

"Alice in Wonderland. This was my favorite book when I was your age, and I was hoping that you would let me read it to you before you went to bed," Victoria said, knowing that she loved to be read to. 

"Sure." She grinned broadly. 

"Why don't you go upstairs and get ready for bed. I'll be up there in a minute, ok?" 

"Ok." Her tiny feet thundered up the staircase, eagerly anticipating being read to by the new, wonderful person in her life, Mummy P. 

~~~~~

Thank you for such a sweet review, BexPotter! I really, really appreciate it and thank you for adding me to your favorites list! *grins* 

Y'all know the drill...here's where I shamelessly beg for feedback, lol!   



	4. Chapter 4: Christmas Surprises

Chapter 4

Victoria quietly shut the book, tucked the coverlet around a soundly sleeping Isabelle, and stood to leave the room. She paused at the door, smiled, and closed the door soundlessly. When she got to the foot of the staircase, Lily was letting herself in the front door. 

"Good evening, my dear. How's my son holding up?" 

"He's nervous." 

"I can imagine. He'll be fine tomorrow, though." 

"I hope so. How is Isabelle?" 

"Sound asleep. She's a delightful child." 

"I wouldn't know," Lily said, dejected. 

"Why not?" she asked, knowing the answer. 

"Because I can't even talk to my own sister! I don't know her, and she doesn't know me. The only person she knows is Sirius. Not that I'm not grateful, but he's the only person she'll give the time of day. I wish that I could take her around sightseeing, just the two of us. Or read her a bedtime story. She hates me." 

"She doesn't hate you," Victoria began, leading Lily to the drawing room. "She worships the ground you walk on. Isabelle is afraid to make you angry, so she avoids you. She thought you were going to send her back to Petunia because she disobeyed Sirius today. Give her time to become self-confident in your love for her. She'll come around, I promise." 

"But, what do I do in the meantime?" Lily sniffled. 

"What you've been doing. She's learning English rapidly, just so that she can talk to you. As for Sirius, they need each other, and always will. Their relationship will change over time, of course," she mused, allowing herself a small smile. "Everything will work out. You'll see." 

"Thanks for listening," she said gratefully. 

"Anytime." 

Feeling much better, Lily headed to bed, hoping that James would get some rest tonight. The Quidditch team had a strict curfew, thank goodness. At least he wouldn't be tempted to be out all night with Sirius and Remus, she thought as she drifted off to sleep. 

~~~~~

  
Across town, Sirius walked into a large, noisy house completely filled with people, stepping over large piles of bottles and other assorted litter. Dominic really outdid himself this time, he thought, looking around at the ongoing party for someone he knew. He spotted Remus in a corner, surrounded by at least five girls, all foreign by the looks of them. 

"Hey, man. How'd you get sprung from babysitting?" Remus tossed him a drink. 

"Mummy P's an amazing woman," Sirius replied, twisting the top off and tossing it on the floor. 

"I'll drink to that," he said, holding up his bottle in a toast. 

"Remus, you'll drink to anything." 

"So true, so true. Hey," he said pointing to the girls. "This is Heidi, Samantha, Maria, Jocelyn, and Narcissa. Ladies, this is my best mate Sirius Black." 

"Nice to finally meet you, Sirius. I've heard so much about you," Narcissa said, looking him up and down. 

I bet, he thought, without changing facial expression. Yet another fortune hunter. And she thinks she can outgame me. Nice try, dear. Your flattery doesn't impress me, and neither does the rest of you. 

"I'm sure. Please excuse me, I need to talk to Dominic." With a quick nod to Remus, he went into the kitchen. Several people were perched on stools around an island, involved in an intense game of high-stakes Exploding Snap. 

"Well, it's about time the high roller showed up," Dominic shouted over the crowd while dealing a hand. Sirius sat down in an empty stool, looking over his cards thoughtfully. 

"Not on munchkin duty tonight?" Xavier asked snidely. 

"Nope." 

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the game is five card stud. Since Mr. Black has decided to grace us with his presence, the ante is five galleons," Dominic said with a wicked grin. The entire group murmured and complained, but anted up. "As usual, if your cards explode before you register your hand with the dealer, yours truly, your ante goes into the pot automatically. Good luck." 

The players quickly analyzed their hands, discarded and drew cards. A master at card games, Sirius was the first to register his hand, a full five seconds before his cards exploded. Three others managed to beat the explosion, but Sirius won that hand and the next five. After winning a thousand galleons, he left the table, bored. 

He walked outside and sat on the back porch, brooding. The only thought in his head was that Regina wasn't coming tomorrow. She had been distant since moving to New York, he admitted. In two months, he had received five short letters from her. Lily got a letter every other day; even James got a card once a week wishing him luck in the World Cup. Dejected, he downed the rest of his bottle in one gulp. 

A petite brunette sat a couple of feet away from him, cupping her chin in her hands. She looked familiar to Sirius, but he couldn't quite place her. Suddenly aware that she wasn't alone, she looked at him, startled. 

"Sorry, I didn't know anyone else was out here." She stood up to leave, and Sirius finally recognized her. 

"Hey, you're Rosemary Jamison, right?" 

"Yeah. Anyway, I'll see you around." 

"Wait. You don't have to leave. I don't really want to be alone, anyway." 

She smiled slowly and sat back down, knowing exactly what was on his mind. There's no time like the present to forget my problems, Sirius decided. If Regina can act like I don't exist, then I can pretend that she doesn't mean anything to me, either. 

~~~~~

  
Sunlight flooded Lily's bedroom as Regina threw open the tightly drawn curtains. To her body, it was early afternoon, and she was ready to have some fun. Well, as soon as Lily woke up, that is. 

"Rise and shine," she said perkily, jumping on the bed. 

"Who gave you a happy pill?" Lily grumbled, covering her head with a pillow. 

"Come on, already. Let's go out and shop before the match." 

"I'd rather sleep." 

"Please?" 

"Fine. Meet you downstairs in half an hour." 

Gina hummed as she bounded down the staircase towards the kitchen. Two groggy, dazed voices floated out into the hallway, making her cover a giggle behind her mouth. It became even harder not to laugh out loud when she walked into the kitchen. Remus and Sirius were draped across the kitchen table, clearly feeling the effects of a night on the town. 

"It's not that big of a deal," Sirius mumbled. 

"Not that big of a deal? From what I heard, you had a very intense snog session with Rosemary Jamison, walked her home, and then came back and snogged Melissa Adams and Daphne King." 

"So?" 

"Glad to hear nothing changes," Gina interrupted. 

Sirius looked up at the doorway, stunned. "I th-thought you weren't coming." 

"What? And miss my brother become a national hero? Never. I wanted to surprise you, that's all." She grinned broadly. "Sounds like I missed a good party, though. Stupid time change." 

"Good party? What an understatement." Remus proceeded to fill her in on all the details from the previous night. 

Sirius leaned his head into his hands, still in shock. If he had known that she was coming, he wouldn't have bothered with those other girls. Why would she miss the match? He felt incredibly stupid. 

"Alright," Lily huffed from the doorway. "Ready to go, sunshine?" 

"Excuse me. Can I go, too? I want to buy a broomstick, but Sirius looks too sick to shop," Isabelle asked with pleading eyes. 

"Of course," Gina said cheerfully, taking her by the hand and leading her into the street. 

~~~~~

  
James felt sick to his stomach, and he knew that no matter what he tried, the knot would only grow bigger and bigger the closer the match came. He paced up and down the locker room, trying to quell his nerves. This was the biggest match of his life, a defining moment, as the coach put it. Somehow, he passed the time, and marched onto the pitch with the rest of his team. Swallowing hard, he jumped on his broom and kicked off. 

Looking over his shoulder, he caught a glimpse of the box seats high above the pitch where his family and friends were seated. He turned around and gave them a quick wave, which made the English stands go wild. James Potter was their local hero. Deciding to showboat a little, he grinned broadly and blew Lily a kiss. The response was deafening, mostly due to female fans that wished that he was blowing them a kiss, instead. 

Lily turned bright red, but waved as the referees released the balls and the match began. She grabbed Isabelle's hand nervously as her heart raced. This match was important to James, and she wanted him to do well. 

"James flies really well," Isabelle said, trying to reassure her sister. Lily smiled. 

"He's the best. You'll never see a better game of Quidditch, so pay close attention, ok?" The little girl nodded seriously, and focused on the game. 

"English chaser John Newcomb takes possession of the Quaffle. He passes to teammate David O'Brien. O'Brien races down the pitch – shoots – scores! Ten-zero to England," the announcer projected throughout the stands. 

The game continued for two hours, with fierce competition from both sides. The score was 90-80 in favor of Portugal, when both seekers caught a glimpse of the Snitch. Mark Lane, the English seeker, raced neck and neck with Portuguese seeker Miguel Tomas. Just as the English chaser extended his hand for the Snitch, a Bludger smacked him squarely in the face, knocking him to the ground, unconscious. 

"What's going to happen now?" Isabelle whispered. 

"I don't know. The game can't end without catching the Snitch, and how are we going to win without a Seeker?" Lily wondered. 

English officials hurried from the sidelines and removed Lane from the pitch while play continued overhead. In the confusion, the Snitch disappeared from sight and Portugal scored two goals, bringing their lead to thirty points. 

"What an unfortunate stroke of luck for England," the announcer said. "During finals play, no substitutions are allowed. Therefore, they must play without a Seeker for the remainder of the game. This effectively ends all hopes of an English win." 

The game went on. England managed to score another goal, but they were simply overrun by the Portuguese team. Only the lack of Snitch sightings gave English fans hope. Suddenly, the Portuguese seeker went into a tight dive towards the ground. 

"Is that the Snitch? Seeker Tomas pursues the snitch, quickly followed by Chaser James Potter. Is Potter going after the Snitch?" The English fans erupted into cheers. "Potter is right on Tomas' heels – ducks a Bludger – and pulls out of the dive. Tomas is still chasing the Snitch – why is no one stopping him? Potter stops – opens his hand – it's the Snitch! English Chaser James Potter catches the Snitch for the win!" 

Everyone in the box seats stood up, cheering and hugging. Lily had a huge grin on her face as she ran down to the pitch. James spotted her immediately, and engulfed her in a wild hug and passionate kiss as the news cameras clicked away. 

~~~~~

  
Later that evening, the entire English Quidditch team threw a gigantic party to celebrate their win. Having trained so hard, for so long, being able to relax for a bit was heaven. Every few minutes, someone came up to congratulate James on catching the Snitch. Although he didn't mind the attention, he would've rather been somewhere alone with Lily celebrating. 

"Hey, I'll be right back, ok?" Lily disappeared into the crowd, probably to talk to a friend, James thought to himself. She was so isolated in Dover – it worried him sometimes. 

"That was some game of Quidditch you played," Remus whistled through his teeth. He and Sirius flopped down on the ground beside him, drinks in hand. 

"Saved the best for last, I suppose," he replied evenly. 

"What are you talking about? Puddlemere United and the Wimbourne Wasps have already offered you contracts. You can take your pick of teams after today," Sirius reminded him. 

"Yeah, but there are more important things in life than Quidditch." 

"Since when?" Sirius asked, shocked. Ever since they were kids, James had wanted to play professional Quidditch. What could possibly change his mind? 

"Since I've been on the road for months, away from my friends and family. And Lily. I really miss her," his voice trailed off. "The National team's season ends in November. After that, I guess I'll come back home and find a job." 

"I think you're crazy." 

"Thanks, Remus. Knew I could count on you for support," James joked. 

~~~~~

  
The cool fall breeze whipped around the apartment building as Regina walked up the stairs, reading Lily's latest letter. Humming, she waited for the elevator to arrive. It was very slow and didn't always work. Most of the people in the building took the stairs instead, but when the elevator broke down, she and Severus simply charmed it. She walked into the apartment, closing the door with her foot. 

"How's Lily?" Severus asked with a forced smile. He tried to keep his personal feelings towards her family and friends to himself. 

"Oh, fine. She and Sirius are taking Isabelle to a Halloween party tonight." She read further. "Surprise, surprise. My Quidditch hero brother is quitting the National team and getting a job with Sirius at the Ministry. Two Aurors in the family and two Unspeakables. Am I the only person around who doesn't think chasing bad guys is a fun thing to do? Must be too daft for the Ministry – they didn't even bother trying to hire me." 

"Daft? If the rumors are true, you are anything but daft." 

"What rumors?" she said innocently. 

"That you found out you were going to be Head Girl and purposely failed every exam sixth year." 

"Oh, that. I had a reputation as a slacker to uphold, you know. Didn't want to be teased by Sirius for the rest of my life for being on the Plaque of Shame." 

Severus' temper flared. "Who cares what he thinks? You shouldn't be embarrassed because he's a stupid git who has nothing better to do than make fun of other people." 

"He's not stupid," she countered. "Sirius is absolutely brilliant. When we were little kids, we had to take these intelligence tests for school. His IQ is off the scales." 

"Why do you always defend him?" 

"Because I know things about him that you don't, ok? Anyway, what did you do today?" 

She opened the refrigerator and peered inside. Payday was in three days, so options for dinner were extremely limited. Remembering that some pasta was deep in the recesses of the fridge, she leaned in, shuffling items around. 

"Oh, the usual. Fixed the elevator, made stuff blow up at work, told Jocelyn that I'd go to the party tonight." 

Surprised, Regina smacked her head on the freezer door. "You, party?" she said, clutching the back of her head. "I've been trying to get you to go out for ages. What does she have that I don't?" 

"Persistence," he grumbled, looking at the bloody gash. "Hold still. I think I have something to fix that." 

He grabbed a jar out of the cabinet, and rubbed a glob of the yellow paste into her scalp. After a minute, the cut healed. 

"Thanks." She looked up at Severus, and smiled. "So, who are you going with to the party? What's-her-face?" 

"Sabrina? No, we went to a coffee bar last night, and I swear three double cappuccinos barely kept me awake. Dullest girl I've ever met," he laughed. 

"Oh. So, you're single now?" she asked innocently. 

"Unfortunately." 

"Maybe I can change that, then." She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Stunned, he stepped back. "What's the matter?" 

"Uh, nothing," he stuttered. 

"Good. Because I fancy you, Severus Snape, exploding cauldrons and all." She kissed him again.

"My exploding cauldrons are nothing compared to your art supplies covering every square inch of this place," he managed to mutter. 

"Do you think we'll make it to the party?" she teased. 

"Probably not. Do you mind?" 

"Obviously not." 

~~~~~  


  


_... and after that, we went ice skating until our lips turned blue. Oh, New York's so pretty at Christmastime, Sirius. You wouldn't believe all the decorations. I've been walking up and down the streets, just looking at the scenery, ever since Thanksgiving. _

_Speaking of Christmas, I'm afraid I won't be coming home this year. Work doesn't seem to understand the concept of a holiday. Besides, I have a secret for you – promise not to tell anyone? I hope you nodded yes, because I'm going to tell you anyway. _

_I've met someone in New York, and I don't know if I can stand to be without him over the holidays. I think Mum's Seen what's going on, because she's been a little snippy with me lately – wasn't too thrilled that I'm not coming home. Having a Seer for a mother is such a pain… _

_Anyway, have a Merry Christmas! Give my love to everyone, Regina _

She's met someone in New York, Sirius thought over and over. She's not coming home. 

"Damn it!" he screamed, punching a large hole into the wall. He turned around, and a pair of enormous green eyes stared at him. 

"What's wrong?" Isabelle asked quietly, but unafraid. Unlike most people, his temper didn't bother her. 

"Just got some bad news, that's all," he replied, quickly fixing the wall. He wouldn't have done that if he realized she was home. She and Lily weren't supposed to be back until later. 

"I'm sorry." She walked over and gave him a hug. 

"It's not your fault," he said, mostly to himself. If only Isabelle could appreciate what he sacrificed for her. Life just isn't fair, he thought miserably. 

~~~~~

  
"I don't like that outfit," Isabelle said, wrinkling her nose. 

"What's wrong with it?" Sirius asked indignantly. 

"It's ugly. I'm glad you're not my date tonight." 

"Oh, you have a date, huh?" 

"Yes," she said seriously. "James is taking me Christmas shopping, then to dinner, and then we're going to see a play. Bet my date is better looking and more fun than yours." 

"You're probably right. Alright, what's wrong with the outfit?" 

"It clashes with your eyes. Try blue. Normally I would say green, but that would make you look like a Christmas tree." 

"I can't believe I'm taking fashion advice from an eight and a half year old," he grumbled, heading upstairs to change, passing James on the staircase. 

"Ready?" he asked Isabelle, throwing Floo powder into the fireplace. She grabbed his hand tightly as they traveled to the Leaky Cauldron in London. No matter how many times she traveled through the Floo network, it still frightened her. They walked into Diagon Alley, which was covered in holiday decorations. 

Isabelle had never seen anything so beautiful in all her life. She happily followed James around, concentrating on understanding what he was telling her about the decorations. They went from store to store, picking up last-minute Christmas purchases. 

"Wow," she breathed, pointing to a large fire burning in the market square. "What's that?" 

"Remember what I told you about the Winter Solstice?" She nodded. "That's a Yule Log Ceremony to celebrate the Winter Solstice. Would you like to go see it?" 

"Yes, please," she said eagerly. They watched the fire flicker and listened to the ceremony for a few minutes. He looked down at his watch. 

"Hey, we have to go now if we're going to make our dinner reservations. Besides, I need to pick up something for Lily." 

"What?" 

"I'll only tell you if you can keep a secret." He paused. She stared at him in anticipation with her big green eyes. "I'm going to ask your sister to marry me, and I need to pick up the ring before the store closes." 

"Then we better hurry then." 

She pulled him in the direction of the jewelry store. He laughed, opening the door to the tiny shop. Isabelle was immediately fascinated; she loved anything pretty and shiny. James had to practically carry her out the store for dinner. 

"What play are we going to see?" 

"_Annie._ It's about an orphan girl who gets a new family for Christmas." 

"Just like me," she said in awe. 

"Yeah, just like you." 

James could not believe how much she had changed over the past six months; she was a completely different little girl. One million pounds was a small price to pay for the privilege of raising her, he decided, giving her change to put in the ticket machine for the Tube. 

~~~~~

  
"The holly and the ivy, when they are both full grown," Regina sang to herself, hanging holiday decorations throughout the apartment. She managed to find a street vendor selling live garland and wreaths for a very reasonable price. This in New York City was nothing short of a miracle. 

"Wow. What happened in here?" 

"For we need a little Christmas, right this very minute," she sang, teasing him. 

"Somebody's in a good mood," Severus said, walking over and kissing her deeply. "Any particular reason?" 

"Other than spending the holidays with the man I love? Nope." 

"Thought you won the New York State lottery or something." He gestured to the decorations. 

"Oh," she laughed. "No, just found a vendor selling stuff dirt cheap." 

"Well, it looks great. Except," his brow furrowed, "there's no mistletoe. Trying to tell me something?" 

"Uh-huh. We don't need it." 

"Is that a fact?" 

"'Fraid so." 

"I see," he said, beginning what turned into an incredibly intense snog session. 

"Severus?" 

"Hmm?" 

"You know what our relationship reminds me of?" 

"What's that?" he asked with a crooked grin, wondering what on earth she was thinking. 

"The Winter Solstice," she mused. "An in between time. We're neither casually dating nor truly committed." 

"And which do you prefer? I love you, so I'm not sure I could just date you casually. But," he looked into her deep blue eyes, swallowing nervously, "I'm ready to take our relationship to whatever level you're ready for." 

"How far are you willing to go?" Her intensity caught Severus off guard. 

"I'd marry you, Regina." 

"Is that a proposal?" she asked, surprised. 

"I guess it is." No backing down now, he decided. At least he would still have his pride when she turned him down. 

"Well, I always said that I would never love a man that much." He braced for what was next. "I was wrong. Yes, I'll marry you, Severus." 

"What? Are you sure?" 

"Positive. The sooner, the better." 

  
Like a modern-day Romeo and Juliet, they spent the next week and a half planning a secret wedding. On New Year's Day, in a tiny chapel, Regina Potter married Severus Snape in a simple ceremony attended only by the minister. 

~~~~

Y'all know the drill...hee hee hee...*grins*


	5. Chapter 5: The Price of Love

Chapter 5

Sirius wearily walked through the front door of the house, exhausted from the day's training. He rubbed his temples, and began climbing the staircase to collapse in his room. Halfway up the stairs, he heard a loud thumping noise from the kitchen. Worried that someone might be hurt, he quickly ran down the stairs. 

As he got closer to the doorway, a small, but confident voice was singing. He crossed his arms, leaned against the doorjamb, and watched Isabelle sing and dance her heart out. 

_So, senator, so janitor,   
So long for a while,  
Remember you're never fully dressed,  
Though you may be the best,  
You're never fully dressed without a smile, smile, smile,  
Smile, darn ya, smile!_

"Brava," he said, clapping. 

Isabelle froze and slowly turned to where Sirius was standing. "Hi." 

"Hey, yourself. That song's from _Annie_, isn't it?" 

"How'd you know?" she asked, amazed. 

"Lucky guess." 

It was Regina's favorite musical, he thought. She played the soundtrack incessantly when they were kids. He shook his head in a desperate attempt to get her out of his head. 

"Where'd you learn how to dance like that?" he asked her. 

"I don't know. Why, am I bad?" 

"No. Actually, you're really good. Have you ever taken lessons?" 

She shook her head no. He made a mental note to talk to Lily later. Isabelle seemed to have a real natural talent. But, more importantly, it looked like she enjoyed dancing. Her life was too rough not to have some sort of outlet, he decided. 

"Do you know how to dance?" Isabelle inquired. 

"Sure." 

"Like Lily and James do?" 

"Yeah, like they do," he laughed. 

"Wow," she said, wide-eyed. "I could never dance like that." 

"Sure, you could." He crossed the room and turned on the wizarding wireless network. "Come here. I'll teach you real quick." 

She gave him a skeptical look, but walked over to where he was standing. In no time at all, she had mastered the basics, and they were dancing around the kitchen, laughing. Isabelle looked at Sirius adoringly, swearing that she would be the best dancer in the world someday. If she was, then maybe, just maybe, someone would look at her the way James looked at Lily when they danced. 

~~~~~

  
Lily looked at the mountain of papers on her desk, and sighed. She closed her eyes, and clicked her heels three times. When she opened her eyes, she was still seated at her desk, and the pile of work was still there. 

"So much for the ruby slipper theory," she grumbled. 

She picked up her highlighter quill, took a deep breath, and dove into the largest set of papers. Almost immediately, she fell asleep. James bit back laughter as he snuck into her office at lunchtime. Her hair was coated in yellow highlighter ink, where it had fallen into the bottle and knocked it over, and she was sprawled all over the papers she was supposed to be reading. 

"Wake up, sleeping beauty," he whispered in her ear. She jumped up in her chair, sending highlighter ink flying all over the room. 

"Huh?" she mumbled, blinking her eyes rapidly. "What time is it?" 

"Noon," James laughed. "You know Lil, there are better ways of becoming a blonde." 

"I'll keep that in mind," she said sourly, turning her hair back red. She yawned and stretched. "I'm glad my boss didn't see my little siesta. The papers started running together after a while. You'd think Ministry spies would make their reports at least a little more interesting." 

"So much for the glamour and intrigue of the spy life. Guess I'm not missing anything." 

"Not a thing. So, what brings you here?" 

"Oh, just came to take my future wife out to lunch," he said with a grin. 

"You came all the way from London for lunch?" 

"Well, no," he admitted. "I got off early from work today. So, I decided to rescue you from the fascinating spy world and take you to lunch. In Paris. Then, I thought we could stay the weekend, see the sights, and spend Valentine's Day there." 

"Oh, James, I'd love to," she squealed, throwing her arms around his neck. Her face suddenly fell. "But, I can't. I promised Isabelle that we'd look at dance schools tomorrow and she was so looking forward to it." 

"Taken care of. Sirius said that he'd take her to London tomorrow to look at the schools." 

"And she's ok with that?" Lily said skeptically, narrowing her eyes. 

"Yep. She wanted me to tell you that it's not fair that you get the good Valentine's Day date and she's stuck with Sirius." 

"Well, he has been moody lately, even for him." 

"True. But," James changed the subject, "I'd much rather be walking on the Seine than standing in your closet of an office, wouldn't you?" 

"Not even a comparison." 

~~~~~  


  


A ray of sunlight passed across Severus' face, causing him to wake up far earlier than he intended. He stretched out his arm for Regina, and felt nothing but empty bed. Puzzled he sat up, wondering where she could be. She never got up before him, especially on a Saturday morning. Throwing back the covers, he yawned and walked towards the kitchen. She sat at the table, hunched over a letter she was writing at lightning speed. 

"Morning, love," he said, kissing her and sitting down across the table. "Why are you up so early?" 

"Oh, just wanted to get this off in the morning post," she said, not meeting his eyes. He raised an eyebrow. 

"And what is 'this'?" 

"A birthday card. It's Sirius' birthday." 

"Valentine's Day?" He would never think of the day the same way, wrinkling his nose in disgust. Leave it to Black to ruin a perfectly good holiday. She laughed at the look on his face. 

"Come on. Is it really that bad?" She picked up her quill and continued writing. 

Severus bit his tongue. He knew they would never see eye to eye on some things, Black being one of them. Oh, how he wanted to tell Gina everything he knew about Sirius, and squash her high opinion of him. But, he could never hurt her, which is why he turned a blind eye to his in-laws. 

And tried to stop wondering if she'll ever tell them she married him. No matter how much time went by, he knew that he'd always feel inferior, knowing that she married far beneath her. Since their wedding day, he swore that he'd make it up to her, make her proud of him somehow. 

"Hey. You're a million miles away. Is anything wrong?" she asked, concerned. She expertly folded the letter, tied it to her falcon's leg, and sent it off into the morning sky. 

"No," he lied. 

"That's good," she replied, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Because I have been looking forward to spending the day with my husband all week long." 

"Oh, really?" He smiled crookedly. 

"Really." 

All thoughts of his in-laws immediately flew out of Severus' mind. He knew that she loved him, and that's all that mattered, anyway. 

~~~~~

  
"Are you nervous, string bean?" Sirius asked. He and Isabelle stood outside the dance school, where dozens of students were shuffling past them on the way to various classes. 

"No." She set her jaw, determined. 

"Well, I guess I'll see you in an hour and a half, then." 

She nodded, and rushed into the dance studio for her very first class. Sirius began walking towards the wizarding part of London. Isabelle was doing so well, he thought. Her English was nearly flawless, and she had really come out of her shell. He never would've guessed that shy Isabelle would take dancing lessons. 

He started to walk in the Leaky Cauldron, but thought better of it. Someone from work was bound to be around. Since rumors of a powerful Dark Wizard began circulating through the wizarding world, the Ministry was on high alert. He didn't want risk being called into work on his only afternoon off in a month. Besides, he might run into his father, who conveniently forgot his birthday for the nineteenth straight year. Angry, he turned around, and headed towards Hyde Park. 

In his mind, he mulled over various ways to ask his boss for a field assignment. Part of him knew that he'd been passed over several times because of Isabelle. But, every other Auror had field experience except him. A desk job pushing papers for eight hours a day was not his ideal career. If it was, he'd be better off at Gringotts'. At least there he'd have a better shot at earning his father's approval for something. 

He quietly pushed open the front door of the dance studio, walked down the hallway, and looked at the various classes. The mirrors in the classroom were set up so that the students only saw a mirror, but the other side was a window so that people could observe the class from outside. 

Sirius finally found Isabelle's classroom, and peered inside. She was easily the tallest girl in the room. Both the teacher and the assistant hovered over her, correcting her every move. Finally, they moved out the way, and he could see her dance. He smiled with pride, realizing instantly why she was the subject of so much attention. Isabelle transformed somehow on that dance floor, showing not only raw talent, but also an enthusiasm he'd never seen before from the usually indifferent girl. The class ended, and the students filed into the hallway, and out the door. 

"Excuse me," came a slight French accent. "Are you ze guardian of zis little girl?" 

"Yes, I am. Sirius Black," he extended his hand to the teacher, who shook it firmly. 

"Zis little one has a gift that I have never seen before, Mr. Black. If she disciplines herself, she could set ze ballet world on fire one day," the teacher beamed. 

Isabelle couldn't believe her ears. She hugged herself, absolutely determined to make her dream come true. 

~~~~~

  
"Oh, I love spring," Regina gushed. "It's like everything starts off brand new – like a second chance." 

Severus didn't reply. She grabbed his hand as they headed down the street. He had been so quiet lately; it bothered her. But, every time he asked, he said nothing was wrong. 

"What's wrong?" she asked again. 

"Nothing you need to worry about." 

She frowned. "You say that as if I'm a child and you're the scolding parent." 

"I've told you fifteen times that nothing's the matter. Can't you just leave it alone?" he snapped. 

"Sure," she replied quietly. 

"I'm sorry," Severus said, as soon as he realized how harsh he sounded. He ran his hand through his hair, trying to think of a good way to bring the subject up. "I got another job offer last week, but I'm not sure if I'll take it." 

Regina stopped suddenly in the middle of the street. "That's wonderful, isn't it? You've been wanting to get away from that bloody lab since Thanksgiving." 

"There's a catch." 

"Which is?" 

"I'd be working for Tom Riddle." 

"The expatriate, the one who Daddy says is a dangerous Dark Wizard?" Her brow furrowed. 

"Yes." He sighed. "It's much more interesting work, and the pay's better. I could finally afford a proper honeymoon." 

"But, Tom Riddle's against the Ministry, which means we'd be fighting against my entire family. I can't go against my own blood." 

"Which is exactly what I thought you'd say, and is why I haven't brought it up. I was going to tell him no tomorrow afternoon." 

"Good." She smiled. "We'd better hurry up; wouldn't want to be late to the club." 

They walked the five blocks to the Zero Hour club, which excluded anyone who wasn't magical. The result was an incredibly wild environment. Anything could and often did happen at the Zero Hour. Severus and Gina were regulars, and were well known by most of the club scene. They immediately headed to the dance floor, where they spent a half hour showing everyone else up. Thirsty, they grabbed drinks from the bar and sat down at a huge table full of friends. 

"I'm glad you got off that floor," Nathan Landon said, clapping Severus on the back. "You're making the rest of us look bad, here." 

"It's not me, mate. Regina'd make even you look good out there," he retorted. "I can't help it if I'm with the most beautiful and talented woman on planet earth." 

"No arguments from me. Hey, I heard that Riddle wants you to join our group." 

"That's right," Severus said evenly. "And, I'm not interested." 

"Not interested? Have you lost your mind? I thought you believed in the cause." 

"I used to, but I changed my mind. Going soft in my old age, I suppose." 

And the fact that Riddle wants to overthrow and kill my father-in-law helps the decision, too, he thought. He wondered how their group of friends would react if they knew that the daughter of England's Minister of Magic sat amongst them. Suddenly, he felt the need to protect her. He looked around the table, and saw her laughing hysterically. 

"What's so funny?" he asked her. 

"Everything," she proclaimed, twirling her arms around. "Whatever's in this is a keeper, Jeremy." 

"In what? What did you give her?" Severus thundered, grabbing him by the shirt collar. 

"A special little recipe I like to call Memory Eraser," he said proudly. "Don't worry, she'll come off it in a minute." 

"Are you insane? You've never tested that on anyone before." Severus dropped Jeremy on the floor. 

"She agreed to try it. What's the big deal?" 

"First, you don't know the aftereffects of the drug. Second, Regina's not like the rest of us. She's lived a very sheltered life, and can be very naïve. So, stay the hell away from my wife." It was all Severus could do not to pound the small amount of brains Jeremy had in his head onto the floor. 

He gathered her up, and walked her home, nearly carrying her up the stairs of the building. After giving her some crackers and every antidote he could think of, she fell into a light sleep. 

~~~~~

  
James walked into the living room, accidentally stepping on Lily's notebook full of wedding plans. She gave him a dirty look, and quickly turned over a large stack of papers. 

"Sorry," he apologized, wiping the dirt off a list of possible cakes. "What are you hiding?" 

She flashed him a teasing grin. "Gina just owled over the designs for my wedding dress. You know you can't see them." 

"I thought she was supposed to visit this weekend." James frowned. It was just like her to minimize the importance of her brother's own wedding. He had thought she'd be more considerate, especially since she and Lily were so close. Apparently not, he scowled. 

"She hasn't been feeling too well lately. Says she has a mild flu that she can't shake, and she wasn't feeling up to travel," Lily explained. "Anyway, we still haven't set a date." 

"How about tomorrow," he said with a rakish grin. 

She pretended to consider his statement. "No, have to turn in a report at work. Guess we'll have to get married some other day." 

"Well, damn. Had my heart set on it, too." 

"Did you now?" she teased. 

"Maybe," he said in mock indignation. 

"Well, I think the summer's a bad time because everyone goes on holiday. And, winter's just depressing. So, unless you want to wait until next spring, fall's our best bet." 

"This fall it is. What about Halloween?" James teased. 

"Hey, that could work," Lily said seriously. "Halloween it is." 

~~~~~  


  


"The wedding's on Halloween day," Regina said, reading Lily's latest letter. 

"So? It's not like I'm welcome there, anyway," Severus growled. 

"Don't be silly. Of course you are. What would make you say that?" 

"Oh, maybe the telling fact that we've been married for six months and you haven't even mentioned it any of your family." 

"It's not exactly something that you put in a letter," she said defensively. 

"What about when your parents visited last month, and you met them for dinner? Alone." 

"Severus, you were working." 

"I could've taken off if you had given me more than ten minutes' notice." 

"I only had an hour's notice myself, if you remember correctly. Anyway, what are you trying to say?" She crossed her arms over her chest, which was starting to ache terribly. 

"That you're embarrassed to bring me around your family, like some dirty little secret," he spat. She stood up, flinging her chair from the table. 

"If you believe that, then you don't know me well at all," she said quietly. 

"Maybe I don't, then," he replied. 

She turned to storm out the room. Halfway across the living room, her legs buckled and she grabbed the back of a wingback chair for support. Her nails left lines in the fabric as she quickly slid to the floor. 

"Regina?" Severus called, rushing over to her and kneeling on the floor. Her eyes opened briefly, and then her body went limp in his arms. Panicked, he picked her up, turning her face towards him. It had a deathly pallor, and tiny sweat beads popped up on her forehead. He picked her up and ran out the building, barking at the taxi driver to hurry to the closest hospital. 

~~~~~

  
Severus paced up and down the hospital corridor, wearing a trail in the industrial-issue carpet. Voices calling over the intercom system and the incessant beeping of various monitors wore on his already frayed nerves. He paused and looked into the room where a small army of doctors and nurses tended to Regina. She was so small and frail. Why didn't he insist that she go to a doctor before now? The 'what ifs' plagued him. 

A somber-looking doctor came through the doorway, removing his surgical mask in order to speak. 

"Mr. Johnson?" the doctor asked. 

"No," he said, waiving his hand absentmindedly. "Just call me Severus. My wife kept her name. How is she?" 

"I'm not going to lie to you. She might not make it." 

Severus clenched his fists tightly, trying to get his emotions under control for her sake and forced himself to listen to the doctor. Dr. Luke, the nametag read. 

"Your wife has a rare virus called infective endocarditis. It attacks the heart, and can be fatal. I think we caught it in time, but she may never recover fully. We're treating it with antibiotics. If she does make it, she'll have to stay in the hospital for a few weeks for monitoring. I need to get back to the patient, but I wanted to let you know what is going on." 

"Thank you, doctor," he managed to say. 

He leaned against the wall. Several hours later, a nurse wheeled a ghostly white Regina into another hospital room. The beeping that was so annoying before gave Severus hope because as long as those monitors beeped, she was alive. He pulled up a chair, sat down, and took her lifeless hand into his. 

"Please don't die," he whispered softly. "I love you." 

"Severus, right?" Dr. Luke said, walking into the room. He nodded, never taking his eyes off her face. "I wanted to talk to you about how she got this disease." 

"What do you mean?" 

"Well, this disease is very rare, but especially in someone her age. I've been doing research, and the only cause other than random accident could be drug use. Has your wife ever used drugs?" 

Severus nodded, and put his head in his hands. "She's been clean for a month, though." 

"When did she first show any symptoms of illness?" Dr. Luke inquired. 

"About a month and a half ago. She complained of having a flu that wouldn't go away. Fever, chills, nausea, weakness, that sort of thing." 

"She didn't have the flu. Those were the first symptoms of infective endocarditis," the doctor said as sympathetically as possible. "But, the good news is that she's responding well to the antibiotics." 

The whole situation seemed surreal to Severus. "How long will it be before you know she'll be all right?" 

"In a couple of days. Unfortunately, neither one of your insurance policies will cover her treatments." 

"I'll get the money," he said firmly. "Just take care of Regina." 

The doctor checked her vital statistics, made a few notes on her chart, and left the room, shutting the door behind him. Severus looked at her beautiful, porcelain face and swore he'd make a pact with the devil himself to keep her alive. Suddenly, he had an idea. He kissed Regina on her forehead, and hurried out the hospital. 

He needed money – and fast. The most logical thing was to go to London and ask her parents for it, but that would cause more problems for her, which was the last thing he wanted to do. He could just imagine showing up on his father-in-law's doorstep. What would he say? 

"Hi, you don't know me, but I married your only daughter, Regina. Who happens to be in a coma with a disease that I can't even pronounce. She might die, but even if she lives, she'll never be the same. Oh, yeah, I'm completely broke and can't afford her medical bills, so I'd like to borrow some money." 

Sure, he thought sarcastically, that would go over real well. Especially when you throw in her overprotective twin and that daft git Sirius Black. No, he decided, he would simply have to find the money himself, which is how he found himself on Tom Riddle's doorstep. 

He knocked on the door, gave his name to the butler, and waited outside, hoping Riddle was at home and willing to see him. The butler opened the door, and ushered him into a dark room. The only light came from a roaring fire, which made the room uncomfortably hot. A man sat completely upright in a wingback chair, placed in front of the fireplace. 

"How can I be of service to you, Mr. Snape?" the man asked silkily. 

Severus blinked – it sounded like he hissed as he talked. Must be his imagination, he convinced himself. He bowed slightly. 

"Sorry to bother you, Mr. Riddle," he began, "but I was wondering if your job offer still stands." 

"Of course. What made you change your mind?" Riddle hissed softly. 

"My wife is sick, and I--" 

"Say no more," he said reassuringly. "I will be happy to advance you whatever money you need. Don't worry about it. We'll work out the details later. You need to be with her right now." 

Dazed, Severus nodded and followed the butler to the front door. Riddle cackled as the door closed. Everything was going according to plan. The young wizard had too much pride to go to the Potters, just as Riddle thought he would. It was a great stoke of luck that he recognized the Potter girl a few months ago at a party. Setting up her illness proved tricky, and kept him in New York City far longer than he planned. She was the key to the whole family's undoing, he decided, narrowing his eyes. Soon, he would put the next part of his plan into motion. 

~~~~~

  
Sirius flopped down at his desk, tea in hand, and looked at a massive stack of papers that wasn't there yesterday. The only thing that cheered him up somewhat is that it was Friday, and that meant two whole days without hearing everyone else in the office talk about their upcoming field assignments. He tuned out the conversation behind him about tracking giant settlements in Ireland, and flipped through the paperwork. Nothing out of the ordinary – it would be yet another predictable, cookie cutter day. "Hey, Sirius?" 

He looked up. "Yeah?" 

Frank Longbottom looked up and down the corridor before pulling up a chair and sitting down. He was a couple of years ahead of Sirius in school, so he didn't know him too well before coming to work at the Ministry. Hardworking, Frank earned the respect of the entire office, and was probably the best liked person around. He pulled a large, sealed envelope from his cloak, and passed it to Sirius. 

"What's this?" he asked. More paperwork. This day just keeps getting better, he thought sarcastically. 

"I'm not sure, to tell you the truth. All I know is that this is a top-secret assignment, and Macnair specifically requested that you do it." 

"Macnair? Whoa," Sirius whistled through his teeth. Very rarely did anyone get a direct assignment from a top Ministry official. Whatever the envelope contained must be very important – or very dangerous. Or, possibly both. But, he was more than eager to get out of the office. 

"Good luck, mate." Frank clapped him on the back, and walked down the corridor. 

He carefully slit open the envelope and removed the contents. His face turned a ghostly shade of white as he skimmed the instructions and accompanying background information. Now he understood why the assignment was classified. 

"Are you feeling alright?" James asked. 

Sirius looked up. Sure, he thought, completely brokenhearted. His mind simply couldn't process that Regina was married. To Snape. But, there the marriage certificate was, in black and white. 

"I'm fine," he forced himself to say. "Just got a field assignment, so I had better go." 

"Congratulations." James smiled. 

He couldn't think of anything to say, so Sirius simply nodded and disapperated home. He threw some clothes into a bag, but couldn't bring himself to go to New York City. So, he walked down the hidden trail to Isabelle's fort to be alone and think. He stared at the water for hours, not realizing how much time had passed until he heard tiny footsteps heading down the trail. 

"Sirius, what's wrong?" Isabelle asked, biting her lower lip. 

Concerned, she sat down beside him. He opened his mouth to tell her to leave him alone, but thought better of it. She didn't cause the problem, and besides, it's her fort. 

"Someone's in a whole lot of trouble, and I have to go help her," he explained. 

She was adult enough to know not to ask questions, and patiently waited for him to continue. He pulled a small piece of paper from his robes. 

"This is where I'll be. Don't give this to anyone unless it's an absolute emergency." 

She took the paper, and gave him a hug goodbye. Sirius bit back tears. 

"Oh, Isabelle, why? Why did she do it? If only I had--" he stopped before finishing the sentence. If only I had gone to New York, the thought miserably. "I wish you were older, so that I could explain everything to you." 

"I'll grow up one day. You'll see," she mumbled underneath her breath, resting her head on his shoulder. 

"Hey, I have to go. I'll owl you, ok?" 

Isabelle gave him one last hug, and Sirius walked out of the fort and down the trail. She watched him until he disappeared from view. 

~~~~~

  
Regina sat on a park bench in a secluded part of Central Park, and drew her knees to her chest. She was so tired – physically and mentally. New York was supposed to be her land of dreams, but the dreams were rapidly becoming nightmares. Lately, walking up a short flight of steps took monumental effort. 

But, she could handle her physical limitations if things weren't hitting the fan between her and Severus. Tom Riddle – Lord Voldemort – as he liked to be called, loaned them the money for their bills, but it came at a high price. Severus was rarely home anymore, and she knew his job was probably illegal. And when he did come home, all they did was fight. A shadow fell over part of the bench, and she looked up. 

"Sirius?" she asked, shocked. He nodded, unable to speak. She pointed to the envelope in his left hand. "What's that?" 

"Your wedding present from the Ministry," he said flatly. "It's a warrant for your arrest." 

"My arrest? And, how did you find out about--" 

"Snape?" 

"Yes." 

"Ministry officials thought it odd that you were supposed to be at Fleur de Paris, but no one named Regina Potter was enrolled in the program. But, you did have a post office box by that name here, and spies followed you home. Congratulations on your marriage," he finished quietly. 

She flinched, knowing what Sirius must think of her. "Do-does anyone else know?" 

"No. How are things?" he asked so sincerely that she could barely meet his eyes. 

"Horrible," she said, tears welling up in her eyes. "Absolutely horrible." 

Sirius could barely contain his relief. Maybe she would agree to his plan. "Regina, top Ministry officials told me to arrest you because you married a known follower of Tom Riddle. Now, I know how to keep you out of prison." 

"How?" 

"I can destroy any evidence that you were ever associated with Snape or Riddle." 

"In other words, leave my husband." 

"Well, you have a choice. You can either come home with me, and I can make this whole situation disappear. Or, you can stay here with Snape, but I'll be forced to arrest you. It's up to you." 

She weighed her options carefully. If she was arrested, it would disgrace the entire family. And, she and Severus both would probably be sent to Azkaban. Or, she could keep him out of prison by leaving him. Either way, their marriage was over. 

"I'll come home, Sirius." 

~~~~~  


  


Sirius knocked on the door of Regina's apartment a few hours later, which Severus opened, scowling. 

"What do you want?" he asked with narrowed eyes. 

"To talk to you." Sirius forced himself past Severus, and into the living room. 

"About?" 

"Regina. The Ministry sent me to arrest her." 

"What? But, she hasn't committed any crime. They can't do that." 

"They can and they have. Guilt by association." 

Severus leaned against the doorjamb in shock. How did the Ministry of Magic in England find out what he was doing an ocean away? And, why didn't they just arrest him, instead? This made no sense to him. 

"It'll be a media frenzy. Imagine the disgrace of the Potter family when they find out one of their own was helping the enemy. She'll be found guilty before the first word is said at trial." 

They both knew that was true. Sirius paused a minute before continuing for added effect. 

"But, there is a way to avoid all this," he said carefully. 

"Which is?" Another pact with the devil, he thought. 

Sirius pulled out a long piece of parchment. "This is a divorce decree granting you a divorce on the grounds that Regina deserted you. If you sign it, I can make the charges disappear. But, if you stay married, what would be the use of my help? There's no way I could fix the next set of charges, or the next. Besides, she's your wife, and your responsibility. I can't go to jail for her – I have a child at home to think about." 

Severus felt like every bit of oxygen was suddenly sucked out of the room as he stared at her untidy signature at the bottom of the parchment. No matter what he did, she was gone forever. He could at least let her maintain her dignity and reputation with her own family, he decided, while signing the parchment. 

"Thank you." Sirius quickly left the apartment. 

An intense hatred consumed Severus. He swore that he'd make Black pay for taking Regina away. 

~~~~~

One more chapter in Part 1...then onto Part 2...

Thanks for the reviews, Kerry Leprechaun and Bexpotter! I replied to you, Bexpotter, in the reviews section, 'k? As usual, muchas gracias for reading and all feedback is welcome...


	6. Chapter 6: Starry Night

Chapter 6

A loud bang echoed through the house, causing Isabelle to bolt upright in her bed, wide-eyed. She ran over to her bedroom window, and peered outside. A small army of workers and caterers were scurrying feverishly around the backyard, setting up for the wedding later that evening. Lily, still in her bathrobe, stood in the middle of everything, shouting directions. 

She giggled and hurried back to bed, throwing the covers over her. As long as she was quiet, maybe she would be forgotten in the fray. The wedding frenzy began in earnest last week, and everyone's nerves were getting worn. She heard a quiet knock, and Regina let herself inside, locking the door tightly. 

"Can I hide with you?" she whispered. 

Isabelle nodded. She tiptoed to the other side of the bed, sitting down gingerly, and drawing her knees to her chest. They listened to the chaos downstairs for about a half hour until someone pounded on the door. They groaned loudly as Sirius poked his head in the doorway. 

"Busted," he said cheerfully. "Mummy P's looking for both of you. She's downstairs." 

Giving him an incredibly dirty look, they shuffled past him and down the staircase. As soon as their feet touched the landing, they became caught up in the swirl of last-minute wedding preparations. After putting on her junior bridesmaid's gown, Isabelle walked into Lily's room. She gasped and put her hands to her heart. 

"Oh, Lily," Isabelle breathed. "You're so beautiful." 

She turned to her little sister, tears in her eyes, dabbling at them with a handkerchief. "Thank you." 

"I bet Mum's smiling down from heaven." 

"I hope so. Ready?" 

"Ready." 

Lily took a deep breath, and headed downstairs. The house was eerily quiet – a complete change from earlier in the day. She peeked out the kitchen window. The white cliffs made the ideal backdrop to for the fall ceremony. The only thing that would've made the day even more perfect was if her parents were here. She looked at Isabelle, and gave her a quick hug before sending her out the house and down the aisle. 

"You can't go down the aisle, crying. What will my brother think?" Gina joked. 

She fought back her own tears, thinking about her own wedding and subsequent failed marriage. Sirius kept her secret well, so her pain remained completely her own. That was little consolation as she watched her best friend shed tears of joy. 

"Welcome to the family, Lil," she said, disappearing out the door. 

Isabelle watched Regina march somewhat stiffly down the aisle. She reached the wedding party, smiled briefly at her brother, and took her place beside Isabelle. Suddenly, James grinned widely as the guests stood up for the bride, who decided to walk down the aisle alone. Lily floated past the guests, never taking her eyes off James. 

"We have come together here in celebration of the joining together of Lily Evans and James Potter," the official began. "Marriage is a bond to be entered into only after considerable thought and reflection. As with any aspect of life, it has its cycles, its ups and its downs, its trials and its triumphs. With full understanding of this, Lily and James have come here today to be joined as one in marriage." 

"Others would ask, at this time, who gives the bride in marriage, but, as a woman is not property to be bought and sold, given and taken, I ask simply if she comes of her own free will and if she has her family's blessing. Lily, is it true that you come of your own free will and accord?" 

"Yes, it is true," Lily beamed. 

"Whose blessings accompany you?" 

Isabelle gulped. This was her big line, and she didn't want to blow it. She looked at Sirius, who winked at her encouragingly. She smiled, and stepped forward confidently. 

"She is accompanied by her family's blessings," Isabelle projected. The official nodded, and she stepped back, relieved. 

"Please join hands with your betrothed and listen to that which I am about to say." 

This was an open invitation for Isabelle to daydream through the vows and exchanging of rings. The sun was making her sleepy, and besides, this part of the wedding was just like Petunia's. She fought the urge to yawn as the official began the handfasting ceremony, which has been part of wizarding weddings for centuries. Now curious, she peered around Regina to get a better view. 

"As you seek to enter this state of matrimony you should strive to make real, the ideals which give meaning to both this ceremony and the institution of marriage. With full awareness, know that within this circle you are not only declaring your intent to be handfasted before your friends and family, but you speak that intent also to your creative higher powers. The promises made today and the ties that are bound here greatly strengthen your union; they will cross the years and lives of each soul's growth. Do you seek to enter this ceremony?" the official asked. 

"Yes, we seek to enter," Lily and James answered together. 

"I bid you to look into each others eyes. James, will you cause her pain?" 

"I may." 

"Is that your intent?" 

"No." 

"Lily, will you cause him pain?" 

"I may." 

"Is that your intent?" 

"No." 

"Will both of you share each other's pain and seek to ease it?" 

"Yes." 

"And so the binding is made. Join your hands." The official draped a cord across their hands. 

"Lily, will you share his laughter?" 

She looked at him, thinking of all the practical jokes he'd pulled through the years. She grinned crookedly. "Yes." 

"James, will you share her laughter?" 

"Yes." 

"Will both of you look for the brightness in life and the positive in each other?" 

"Yes." 

"And so the binding is made." The official draped a second cord across their hands. 

"Lily, will you burden him?" 

"I may." 

"Is that your intent?" 

"No." 

"James, will you burden her?" 

"I may." 

"Is that your intent?" 

"No." 

"Will you share the burdens of each so that your spirits may grow in this union?" 

"Yes." 

"And so the binding is made." The official draped a third cord across their hands. 

"Lily, will you share his dreams?" 

"Yes." 

"James, will you share her dreams?" 

"Yes." 

"Will you dream together to create new realities and hopes?" 

"Yes." 

"And so the binding is made." The official draped a fourth cord across their hands. 

"James, will you cause her anger?" 

"Oh, I will, for sure," he answered to the stifled laughter of the guests. 

"Is that your intent?" the official asked with a smile. 

"No, and I apologize in advance." 

"Lily, will you cause him anger?" 

"I may," she managed to choke out, trying not to laugh herself. 

"Is that your intent?" 

"No." 

"Will you take the heat of anger and use it to temper the strength of this union?" 

"We will." 

"And so the binding is made." The official draped a fifth cord across their hands. 

"Lily, will you honor him?" 

"I will." 

"James, will you honor her?" 

"For eternity," he said softly, looking in Lily's eyes. 

"Will you seek to never give cause to break that honor?" 

"We shall never do so." 

"And so the binding is made." The official draped a sixth cord across their hands, and tied all six chords together. 

"The knots of this binding are not formed by these chords but instead by your vows. Either of you may drop the chords, for as always; you hold in your own hands the making of breaking of this union." He smiled, untied the chords, and continued. 

"Spirit of Love, may Lily and James know great love together, and may they live in the desire to attain that best which each may win more richly because of the other. 

May they strengthen one another in all sorrow, share with one another in all gladness, and be companions to each other in times of silence. May their home help to make the world more homelike. 

And wherever they are placed by changing fortune, may they be united not in word and outward form alone, but by the presence in the hearts of each, of the deepening love they share. May the benedictions that rest on those who truly love, rest on them, and fill them with love's grace, now and forevermore. You may now kiss," he said to the newly married couple. 

James lifted Lily's veil, and kissed her passionately, egged on by the whistling and catcalls from the guests. They flashed each other thousand-watt smiles, and walked back down the aisle. 

By the time the reception started, Isabelle was exhausted. After taking what seemed like hundreds of pictures, she politely greeted the guests in the receiving line along with the rest of the wedding party. As people passed by, Remus made a running commentary that had her fighting to keep a straight face. There was David Pratt, whose nostrils flared like a bull when he was angry, and Lauren Bullock, who kissed like a flubberworm. Finally, all the guests walked through the line, and the party began. 

"So, Mrs. Potter, can I have this dance?" James whispered in Lily's ear as the music began. 

"Certainly," she replied with a grin. 

They walked to the middle of the dance floor, and began dancing like they were the only two people in existence. Isabelle sighed, falling into a chair. Right then and there, she decided that her deepest, darkest wish was for someone to love her the way James loved Lily. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Sirius coax Regina into dancing. 

"I don't want to do this," she said through clenched teeth. 

"Oh, it's bad show if the best man and maid of honor don't share a dance. Can't have that, now can we?" 

"You're insufferable." 

"I try. Was that a smile?" 

"No." 

"Good. Better watch out, or you just might find yourself having a good time," Sirius said, laughing at the look on her face. 

"I consider myself warned." 

The dance ended, and she stormed off the floor, teary-eyed. She didn't know if she was more upset that she missed Severus terribly, or that she was enjoying herself without him. Sirius watched her dramatic exit unconcerned. He was used to her mood swings by now. 

Across the room, James walked over to Isabelle, who was still sitting alone in the corner. He sat down beside her, and loosened his tie a bit before talking. He hated formal attire. 

"Hey, sis." Isabelle positively beamed at the idea of being related to the wonderful Potter family. He put his arm around her. "Anything the matter?" 

"Oh, no. I'm just watching everyone," she said happily. 

"Well, I was wondering if you'd dance with me." 

"Sure." 

She jumped up, eager to show off her newfound dancing ability. James led her through a traditional Irish dance, to the clapping and cheers of the growing crowd. As the music got faster and the dance became more complicated, everyone stopped and stared. Isabelle owned the dance floor, and she knew it. As she turned, she caught a glimpse of Sirius, who was cheering and smiling proudly. The applause was deafening when the dance finally ended. 

"Beat that," James shot at Sirius. They tended to compete over everything. 

"No problem." He extended a hand to Lily. "What do you say?" 

"Stand aside, little sister, and let me show you how it's done." 

Lily carefully removed her veil so that there was no danger of tripping, and made sure the train on her gown was bustled tightly. She and Sirius spun around, making dizzying turns to the rowdy support of the crowd. No one could honestly decide who danced better, so the dance-off was called a tie, much to the disappointment of James and Sirius. 

The reception continued into the night, with the atmosphere becoming progressively more casual. After being covered in confetti, silly string and birdseed, Lily shot James a look that clearly indicated that she was more than ready to leave before her dress suffered any more damage. They went back to the house to change, said their goodbyes, and disapperated to Hawaii for a weeklong honeymoon. 

~~~~~

  
Regina looked around her to make sure no one was around, and took out a vial from her cloak pocket. Over Christmas holidays, she suffered a minor relapse. She passed it off as the flu. Only her cardiologist at St. Mungo's knew the truth, and she was barred from telling anyone because of patient confidentiality rules. 

She carefully drank the bitter liquid, making a face. Luckily, she only had to take the potion once a week to bolster her immune system. Dr. Carson strongly urged her to stay indoors, especially during the springtime allergy season, but the day was just too beautiful not to enjoy it. She bit the end of her charcoal pencil, trying to decide weather to sketch the waves crashing against the white cliffs or an interesting gnarled tree. 

"Nice day, isn't it?" 

She nearly jumped a foot off the ground. Sirius laughed and sat down beside her. 

"It's not polite to scare people like that." 

"Well, if you weren't off in your own little world, you would've heard me coming a mile away." 

"I like it there." Her eyes looked far in the distance. As time went by, the sting of her divorce from Severus dulled to an ache. But, she still loved him dearly, and often reflected on the happier memories of their time together. She closed her eyes tightly, fighting the urge to cry. 

Sirius put his arm around her shoulders, and gently brushed away the two tiny tears that escaped from her troubled eyes. She swallowed, and shook her head, as if to clear it of all her thoughts. 

"Enough crying already. It's over, and wallowing in it won't make any difference," she told herself forcefully. It was time to get on with life, she decided. "How did the raid on the LaSalle house go?" 

"Pretty well. Frank arrested the LaSalles while James and I searched the house. We found a lot of illegal Dark stuff, for lack of a better term. But, Remus said that we missed the majority of what we were looking for." 

"Why didn't he go with you on the raid? Oh, yeah – because he's the Ministry's best super secret spy man. Our very own James Bond," she joked. 

"Now I have 'Secret Agent Man' in my head," Sirius groaned. "The WWN really needs to stop playing Muggle music on Saturday mornings." 

"There's a man who leads a life of danger," Regina sang teasingly. "To everyone he meets he stays a stranger. With every move he makes another chance he takes. Odds are he won't live to see tomorrow." 

Sirius plugged his ears, which inspired her to sing even louder. 

"Secret agent man, secret agent man. They've given you a number and taken away your name," she shouted, bursting out with her first real laugh since coming back to Dover. 

"Don't quit your day job. Speaking of, how's it going?" 

She sighed, exasperated. "Since the wedding, I've been absolutely flooded with requests for gown designs. Last week, I made arrangements with a tailor in London to do the actual construction of the clothing. Even so, I'm backed up until early June." 

"That's great." 

"Yeah, at least something good came out of going to New York." She looked at Sirius, and squeezed his hand. "Thanks for being such a good friend about everything. I don't think I could've made it through these past few months without you." 

"No problem." He looked in her big blue eyes, and melted. Just friends wasn't exactly the relationship status he wanted with her, but he would take it any day over nothing. Or her still being married and unattainable forever. 

~~~~~

  
Lily tossed and turned fitfully, unable to sleep. She turned on her bedside lamp, and leaned her head against the headboard. 

"Why are you up in the middle of the night?" James yawned from deep in the recesses of his pillow. 

"I can't sleep." 

"Obviously." He managed to sit up. After rubbing his eyes for a minute, he put on his glasses and looked at his wife. "I'm all ears." 

"Actually, you're all hair, mop head," she laughed, ruffling his already unruly hair. He frowned. "Sorry. It's Isabelle." 

"What about her?" 

"Well, she turns eleven next month, and I just don't know what to do about her schooling next year." 

"Isn't she going to Hogwarts?" 

"That's the problem. I have no doubt that she's magical, and will be accepted to Hogwarts. But, her ballet teacher told me yesterday that the Royal Ballet School wants her to participate in their lower school program. She can only go to one school, though. On the one hand, she's a witch, and she should be trained. But, on the other hand, she's a dancer, and a brilliant one at that. Remember last Christmas when she was Clara in The Nutcracker?" 

He smiled proudly. "She danced like an angel." 

"I know. James, what should I do?" 

Suddenly, he had an idea that just might work. "Why can't she do both programs?" 

"What do you mean?" Her brow furrowed. 

"When we were at Hogwarts, Mum got permission for Gina to take art lessons, right?" 

"Right." 

"So, why can't we hire someone from the Royal Ballet School to go to Hogwarts and teach Isabelle ballet? It wouldn't be much more work than she's already doing now." 

"That's true." Lily turned the idea over in her mind. 

"Now that that's settled, onto other business." James leaned over and kissed her. 

"I do believe you're getting fresh with me, Mr. Potter." 

"Guilty as charged. Can I help it if you're irresistible?" 

"I guess not," she replied with a seductive grin. They looked at each other, knowing that going back to sleep was completely out of the question. 

~~~~~

  
The soft summer breeze dried Regina's tears as she stormed across the backyard. She sought refuge in her favorite spot – under an old tree at the edge of the cliffs. Its large branches provided shade for most of the day, so she often took her sketchpad outside to work. She flung herself down and curled against the tree trunk and cried. 

It had been nearly two years since she left Severus, and the memories were beginning to get fuzzy, like a faraway dream. Work kept her busy, and time somehow began to mend her broken heart. The scar would always be there, but she finally felt ready for another relationship. 

That was the problem. Everyone seemed to be setting her up on dates, but nothing ever worked out. Not only did every guy fail to measure up to Severus, they failed to capture her attention at all. It seemed like she was destined to be alone, which is what she shouted at the kitchen table a few minutes ago before running out the door. 

"Hi, there." 

Sirius. She should've figured he would come after her. He had become her rock, someone who was always there, always listened, but never asked prying questions. She longed to tell Lily everything, but couldn't bear her friend's disappointment in her. So, she had turned to Sirius for comfort these past two years. 

"Hey." She wiped her tears on her robe sleeve. "Sorry about losing it at dinner. I guess I just snapped." 

"Did you mean what you said in there?" 

"Yes." 

He took a deep breath to calm his nerves. "You don't have to be alone if you don't want to be." 

"What are you talking about?" She looked at him curiously. 

"I love you, Regina. I always have, but I remember the exact moment you stole my heart. My father was supposed to come home on my fifth birthday to take me somewhere, I can't recall exactly where. Anyway, he didn't show, of course, and I climbed up the tallest tree in the yard because I didn't want James to see me cry." 

"And I climbed up that tree after you with Chocolate Frogs and tissue," she recalled. 

"It wasn't the last time you did that, either. And you never told anyone, even James. That's just one of a million things I love about you, like the way you bite your lip when you're thinking, or the look on your face when you finish a design. I don't know why I didn't tell you before – guess I didn't want to risk losing you." 

"Oh Sirius, I—" She got a lump in her throat and flung her arms around his neck. 

"It's ok, you don't have to say anything if you don't want to. I just want to make you happy, no matter how you feel about me. If you don't—" She interrupted him with a kiss that quickly became incredibly passionate. 

"If I don't what?" 

"I forgot what I was going to say," he said honestly. 

"By the way, the rumors about you are true. You are quite talented at snogging." She could see him blush, even though it was dark, and began laughing hysterically. "Sorry, couldn't resist. Come on, I don't want Lily to worry." 

Although he'd much rather stay outside, he followed Regina to the house. A minute later, Isabelle scrambled down the tree where she saw and heard everything. Her lower lip trembled slightly as she stared at the sea, thinking. 

~~~~~

  
For the second time that evening, Sirius walked to Isabelle's fort to think. Surprised, he saw Isabelle huddled inside, with her knees drawn to her chest. She clenched her jaw and didn't look at him as he sat down beside her. Although she didn't exactly know why, she was angry with him for being with Regina. Sure, he had other girlfriends, but nothing serious. And she had a sinking feeling this relationship was going to be different. 

"What's wrong?" he asked her. 

She didn't respond for a minute, trying to decide whether to tell him or not. 

"I'm scared to go to school," she replied, talking quickly. "What if I don't like it there? What if I'm lonely? I'll miss you so much, that I'm not sure if I can bear it!" 

"Well, you know what? Look up at the sky. Do you see that star up there?" Sirius pointed. 

"Yes," Isabelle sniffled. 

"You see, that star is the brightest in the sky, because it's the closest to earth. And, I happen to be named after that star. So, whenever you get sad or lonely, look up at the sky, and remember that I'm always close to you, just like the star, even if I seem far away. And just because it's daylight doesn't mean that the star isn't there. I'll always be there when you need me," Sirius told her. 

She looked at him adoringly and gave him a huge hug. He was her hero, after all. 

"Alright, time for bed. Trust me, tomorrow's going to be a long day." 

They walked back to the house together, and tried to get some sleep. Sirius woke at the crack of dawn. Isabelle left for Hogwarts today. In his mind, he knew that she was mentally and emotionally ready, but he wasn't ready to let her go. She was his little girl. 

And this is just the beginning, he thought miserably. First Hogwarts, and then she'll graduate and move away. Then, some incredibly unworthy guy will win her heart, and she'll be gone forever. 

Depressed, he walked downstairs to join the rest of the family for the trip to King's Cross station. When they reached Platform 9 ¾, Isabelle hugged everyone goodbye, and stepped on the train. She waived as the station disappeared out of view. 

~~~~~

That's it for Part 1, folks! Onto Part 2 shortly...

Thanks for the fabulous review melockerty! Sorry the HP boards are temperamental...they act up for me a lot, too. More than a lot. They drive me nuts. Anyway...Thanks for reviewing Liliana-Suger! Glad you stumbled on my fanfic universe. Hope ya like it...

As usual, I'm a junkie for feedback, so all is welcome...*grins*


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